The Natural Blonde
by imagination junkie
Summary: I'm definitely not a normal Japanese girl with blonde hair, blue eyes, and the ability to sense the dead. After a literal run-in with an orange haired guy and black haired girl...well let's just say things are about to get a little weird. IchiOC
1. A New Uniform

**Disclaimer:** _I do not own Bleach or anyone of anything from Bleach. It's as simple as that. Everything else, however, is mine. :D _

Chapter 1: A New Uniform

**My name is Taylor Smithson and I'm 14 years old. Ever since my near-death experience 5 years ago I've been able to sense the spirits of the dead. Ghosts, poltergeists, phantoms-whatever you want to call them. I can't say I've ever seen one, but when one's nearby I get a strange feeling, like a cold chill running up and down my spine, and I often hear strange noises in the middle of the night. Not that I've ever stayed in one place long enough to find out what exactly I'm sensing or hearing. My mom hasn't been able to hold a steady job in years so we move around a lot. But, after our most recent move…well let's just say things are about to get a little weird.**

…

"Remember, it's a gray jacket and skirt with a **red** bow"

"Yea, yea mom. I got it."

"Don't forget the bow!"

"Alright mom! Enough already! I got it!" I swear that woman's trying to kill me. She just keeps nagging all the time. I'm not deaf. I do hear what she says the first time. Just most of the time I choose not to act on her initial instructions.

This is third school uniform I've had to buy since I started high school. Why? Because, we've moved to three different towns. And I'm only in 9th grade. Needless to say, none of those uniforms, including this new one, are brand new. My mom spends most of the money she makes on booze, so it's the thrift shop for me. It's also the reason why my mom gets fired and we have to move every 6 months or so. No employer is going to pay an employee who comes to work either drunk or hung-over every other day.

As I walk down the busy city sidewalk I notice that my bangs have gotten free from under my hat. Irritably I shove them back up. I don't look Japanese with my blonde hair (**naturally** blonde I'm proud to say) and blue eyes but I've lived in Japan all my life. However, my appearance often attracts weird looks, so I do my best to avoid inviting extra attention.

I pause on the street corner, standing on the edge of the curb to keep from being jostled. Glancing up and down the busy street I spy a thrift shop.

"Finally…" I mutter as I join the throng of humanity in the crosswalk.

…_**In a park across town…**_

A feral roar split the silence of the empty park, the bird songs having stopped long before. A much more human roar followed as well as a shout of "**Look out**!"

"Ichigo stop fooling around! We don't have a lot of time to waste here!" Rukia was on the verge of an angry meltdown as Ichigo was forced to retreat, again, without being able to get a shot in.

"Well if you're such a big hurry you can come over hear deal with this damn Hollow!" Ichigo replied irritably. He was pissed that he had yet to even put a scratch on the Hollow and Rukia's impatience was not helping his mood. "Why the hell are you in such a hurry anyways? Do you have a bunch of homework to do or something?"

"I do actually, but that's not the point. Two more Hollows have appeared in much more populated areas. We need to deal with them quickly."

"Damn it." Ichigo swore under his breath as he charged the Hollow again, zanpakuto raised high. This Hollow was particularly ugly. Shaped like a lizard, it had six legs, each ending with three long, sharp toes, and a long tail. It was very large, easily 20 feet from nose to tip, and it was also very fast. The mask that covered the fallen soul's human face was strangely elongated, making its face look very pointy and adding to its lizard-like appearance.

Ichigo roared again as he brought his zanpakuto down with intent of slicing the Hollow's head in two. The Hallow backed away in time and Ichigo missed, burying his zanpakuto in the ground. Ichigo tugged at the sword so he could attack again and realized that it was stuck. He began to pull more frantically, knowing he was completely open to attack.

"Come…on…!"

The Hollow roared again, as if it was going to strike, but it suddenly disappeared, fading away into the bleak world, the Hueco Mundo, that was the Hollow's home between the Living World and the Soul Society. Ichigo stood blinking stupidly for a second before Rukia's shout woke him from his surprised daze.

"What are you waiting for Ichigo? We've gotten a reprieve, but we needed to be across town 5 minutes ago! Get back in your body and let's go!"

"R-right!" Ichigo pulled his zanpakuto out of the ground and sheathed it, racing to join Rukia. However, he couldn't help but think that it was extremely suspicious that the Hollow had retreated right when Ichigo was most vulnerable.

_There's something not right here. _Ichigo thought as he and Rukia left the park and sprinted towards downtown. _That Hollow's up to something and I'm afraid that we're going to find out what sooner rather than later._

…_**Back across town, and hour or so later…**_

It is late afternoon, the setting sun casting long shadows and bouncing off the river that runs through the edge of town. I pause to look down the long, grassy slope that runs from the road down to the concrete that lines the streambed. The river is awash with gold, the sunlight reflecting off the water so brightly that I can't help but wish I had sunglasses.

"So this is home for now is it? I guess it's not so bad." I glance at my watch, nearly dropping the thrift store uniform in the process. 5:12. I better get home. Maybe I can catch my mom before she heads for the nearest bar and convince her to stay home tonight.

…

"I just know I'm gonna get lost tomorrow," I pant, pausing to regain my breath at the top of yet another stair case. This town is full to bursting with stairs. It's a nice town, but seriously, come on!

The neighborhood our new apartment is in is actually quite pleasant. Clean and seemingly safe, the only problem is the five staircases. Our apartment complex is set on top of a steep hill that overlooks the river and the road that runs parallel to it. The road then winds its way back and forth up the hill to empty out in the complex parking lot. I suppose I could walk along the road to get to the top of the hill, but it would take twice as long as climbing the five sets of stairs that connect each winding section of road as it ascends the hill. It's faster to drag my ass up each step, but why does it have to be stairs? Why couldn't they have put an escalator in? Or an elevator? Yea, an elevator would be nice.

I've reached the top of the third flight of steps. "Just two more left," I heave. Even though it's the middle of spring and the air has started to get chilly with the sun gone, I'm drenched in sweat. "I'm sooo out of shape," I groan, slinging my newly bought (bought being the key word) uniform across my shoulder and heading across the street to resume my climb.

As I reach the middle of the road I hear indistinct shouting and the sound of feet pounding on the road higher up the hill. Before I can register what is happening someone comes whipping around the curve in the road running, faster than I would have thought possible, towards the river. Unable to slow their momentum (if they even noticed I was there) the person slams into me and we go down, rolling several hundred feet down the steep incline until friction brings us to an unceremonious stop.

"What the hell?" My head is pounding from the little "trip" down the hill. My uniform is laying in a crumpled heap farther up the hill, my hat a little further down having been knocked from my head. I'm bleeding from several cuts and scrapes and I am **definitely **going to feel my bruises in the morning. The person, no the boy, who ran into me doesn't seem to be in much better shape. That's when I realize the he's still laying sprawled on top of me.

"Get **off**!"

"Gladly," the boy groans and complies. Now that he is standing, rubbing his obviously painful skull, I can get a better look at him. He is tall, about a head taller than me, somewhere around my age, and has bright, orange hair. I raise my eyebrows. Something tells me that he is not your typical teenage boy. He is also quite attractive I notice, blushing faintly. For the time being, however, he seems to have forgotten me. Yea right. Like I'm gonna let him get away with that!

"Hey you jerk! What the hell was that about?" I shout, scowling. He looks down, his expression slightly dazed. His mind is clearly somewhere else.

"Oh. Sorry."

"Sorry? Is that all you can say?" I push myself up, ready to get in his face about our little "accident".

I'm interrupted as a short, black-haired girl runs by. "What are you doing Ichigo? Let's go!" Then she is gone, darting around the next bend.

"Coming!" he answers and begins to take off after her.

"Hey! Where do you think you're going? You jerk! You owe me a new uniform!" I pause, glancing back up the road as a gentle breeze blows my hair into my face, reminding me of its color. "And I new hat!" But I'm too late. Even the sound of his footsteps on the road has faded. "You bastard! **Get back here**!" Now it seems I'm only ranting to the darkening sky. I'm definitely not gonna forget that guy though. Ichigo was it? Well, I will make him pay. He owes me a new hat dammit!

**Author's Note:**

_Thank you for reading the first chapter of "The Natural Blonde". I hope you enjoyed it!_

_This is my first Bleach fanfic, as well as my first multi-chapter fanfic (I wrote a FMA one shot lost November, It's titled "A Son's Love" if you're interested). I'm not entirely sure where this one is going yet because I haven't gotten very far into the anime or manga yet. I do plan to make it quite long though. I have many ideas of what I would like to happen but they all could change depending on what actually happens in Bleach, because this story is set inside the actual anime/manga. I will, of course, change things around to suit my purposes and those of my character, but the basic plot of Bleach will remain (however, my plan is to only follow it until the end of the Soul Society Arc)._

_As for my actual writing…if I made any catastrophic mistakes please correct me! And reviews are always appreciated, but I will not demand them._

_So, once again, I hope you enjoyed my story and I hope you look forward to Chapter 2: The (Weird) Morning After!_

_**imagination junkie**_


	2. The Weird Morning After

**Disclaimer:** _I do not own Bleach or anyone of anything from Bleach. It's as simple as that. Everything else, however, is mine. :D _

Chapter 2: The (Weird) Morning After

…_**Taylor's Dream…**_

I am standing in the middle of a dusty street of hard-packed dirt lined with old-fashioned Japanese homes and shops. I look down and see that I am wearing a traditional men's kimono, right down to the socks and sandals on my feet. Odd. I never wear traditional Japanese clothing, let alone men's clothing. It's uncomfortable and I just feel kinda weird about it.

There is also a katana, a traditional Japanese sword, strapped to my waste. Also odd. I am definitely not trained in the martial arts, especially swordsmanship. However, as I rest my hand on the sword's hilt, I feel strangely safe and comfortable having the sword's weight on my hip. Like it's supposed to be there.

While I may be feeling calm, the street around me certainly isn't. There is pandemonium. Terrified screams fill the air. People dressed in abused and ratty clothes, dirt streaked on their faces, are running past me. Almost none of them are wearing shoes. The looks an all their faces are of fear and panic-the nervous, edgy eyes those who are being hunted. They seem to be running from something, a dark shadow, farther up the road.

The shadow is large and bulky, its shape vaguely humanoid, but monstrous. There is a haze rising off the creature's body, like the heat haze that hovers over an asphalt road in high summer. Suddenly, the creature throws back its head and roars, the empty sound reverberating down the street and into my bones.

…

I wake slowly, the creature's roar still echoing inside my skull. I realize quickly that the sound wasn't just in my dream, but as the sound isn't repeated I soon forget about it.

I roll over and glance at the clock that is balanced precariously on top of my chest of drawers. The glowing digital lights read 4:43 am. Damn. Every night for the past week I've been woken up early by my dreams. They aren't nightmares, but I just seem to wake up. There must be something about this town. Maybe it's something in the water.

I've been having dreams like this last one, where I'm in strange places, wearing strange clothes, and surrounded by strange people, for as long as I can remember. When I was younger these images and others came in short, nonsensical fragments, more like brief glimpses of long-forgotten memories than actual dreams. However, after my near-death experience five years ago the fragments became more than just fragments. What were brief glimpses started to join together, becoming longer and more elaborate. They began to resemble short clips of an old movie, fuzzy and grainy and without detail, but still discernible. They still don't make any sense. These images are like memories, but…I know they're not mine.

My dreams weren't the only things that changed after that fateful night. After nearly being killed in a car accident I was able to sense the spirits of the dead. However, I still can't figure why I gained the ability or what I'm supposed to do with it. It's almost like…like something or someone inside me has woken up. However, it doesn't seem that it or they or whatever is fully conscious yet. They've given me their weird clairvoyant powers and their memories, but so far that's it. I know it doesn't make any sense, but I can't think of any other way to describe it. Until I figure out who or what's inside me I've tried to be content with my own explanations.

These are the wandering thoughts that occupy my mind as I dress for my first day at my new high school. There really isn't any point in trying to go back to sleep since I was gonna get up at 5 am anyways. One of my mom's old, white dress shirts. Gray jacket, gray skirt. Black socks, cheap loafers, and that damn red bow. Whoopee. It's 5:07 by the time I'm done.

On my way out I grab my hat and examine it. It's not in as bad a shape as I initially thought, except for a large hole in the front. Damn that Ichigo kid! My bruises still hurt too…Crossly I pull my hair back and put my hat on, keeping my cursed blonde locks as contained as I can. I often think that I should try and dye my hair black again. However, the last time I tried to color my hair it didn't end up so well (have you ever seen blonde roots growing into black hair?). Besides, I don't have enough money to maintain any fake hair color anyways.

Fully dressed and already fussing with the bow, I head out into the main room of the apartment. The apartment is bare, with only the basics of furniture and decoration. It's just my mom and me, so we don't need a lot, and we move around a lot so we don't want a lot. However, we have a simple kitchen, breakfast nook, a ratty, old couch, and an old, old TV.

I make it about halfway to the fridge before a ridiculously loud snore from the couch alerts me to someone else's presence in the room. I head over take a look, cautiously, as my mom isn't unknown to bring random people who are completely trashed back to sleep on our couch. I'm relieved to see that it is actually my mother, passed out on the couch with several empty beer bottles adorning the floor around her. Apparently she made it back last night after all. I'm sooo glad that my mom is such a fantastic roll model.

Sighing heavily I pick my mom up and carry her to her room and her bed. Lately it seems more and more like I'm the one who's the mother in our family. Not that that's anything new. I've been taking care of my mother and myself, for all practical purposes, since I was 4 years old. In addition to the main room of our apartment we also have my mom's bedroom, a tiny little bathroom, and my room. Well actually, my room is a closet, but my bed and chest of drawers fit in it so I think I'm justified in calling it a bedroom.

I head back out into the main room to fix myself some breakfast. 5:12 am. It's going to be a long day.

…

As expected, I am completely and utterly lost. Karakura Town may not be a very big place, but it sure is confusing. So many streets and stairs. Not that I really knew where I was going on the first place. 6:57. School starts at 7 am. Obviously I'm not gonna get there on time. I can't say that I really care about school, but I'm gonna hear it from my mom later.

All in all, this day just sucks. First I wake up early. Again. Then I had to drag my mom's ass to bed because she passed out on the couch. Again. And now I'm lost. Fantastic. Not to mention my "death sense" or whatever has been acting up all morning. It's really weird actually. Kind of disturbing. I've been sensing far more ghosts than normal. They seem to be kind of all over. Not necessarily close to me, but there are definitely a lot of them around. But of course, I still can't see them. Whenever I try, all I see is people going about their early morning business. There are a lot of early risers in this town. They must all be morning people. Weirdos.

I stop, frustrated, in what appears to be an empty business district. There are a lot of plain, uninspired office buildings, but no one around. My death sense has even died away. Sudden shouting breaks the cold, man-made silence and attracts my attention. Looking farther down the street I see a break in the office buildings. Curious, I decide to investigate.

In the space between two of the office buildings stands a little, old-fashioned Japanese shop, guarded by a small yard and fence. A sign perched on the roof reads 'The Urahara Shop'. Two kids in the yard are the cause of the commotion. A boy, redheaded and the younger looking of the two, is a chasing a girl, taller with black floppy hair in pigtails, around the yard with a broom. The boy looks angry and vindictive and appears to be taking some sort of grudge out on the girl…or maybe he's just a bully. The girl looks guilty, apologetic, and just plain terrified.

I look down at my watch. 7:11. "Why the hell not…" I sigh.

…

"No, no, no! How many times do I have to tell you Ururu? When you sweep, you have to sweep from left to right, not right to left!"

"I'm sorry Jinta! Please forgive me. But I don't see how it makes a difference…"

"It's makes a difference because I say it does! Now do it right or-!"

"Um…excuse me?"

Jinta froze mid-swing, giving Ururu a chance to escape. She moved well out of range of Jinta's broom and they both turned to see who had spoken. A girl, dressed in the uniform of the local high school, stood awkwardly outside the gate.

"What do you want?" Jinta asked. "We're not open yet." Jinta scowled at the girl, willing her to go away.

"I don't want to buy anything. I want to directions to Karakura 1st High School."

Jinta smirked nastily. "Why? You lost or somethin'?" he sniggered.

"Yes." the girl glared back. "Are you gonna help me or not brat-face?"

"Brat-face?! Why you-!"

"What's all the racket out here about?" All eyes turned to the man in a striped bucket hat, who stood on the porch of the shop. After stifling an enormous yawn, his attention returned to the scene before him, the question plain in his eyes. "Well?"

Jinta and Ururu became meek under his gaze. Jinta answered first, staring at the ground while scuffing his foot in the dirt. "Well…Ururu and I were sweeping when that girl showed up, but I told her that the shop wasn't open yet. Then she called me a brat-face!"

The man looked back up to observe the girl, eyebrows raised. "I don't want to buy anything!" she said defensively. "I just want directions to the stupid high school!"

The man on the porch looked between Jinta and the girl several times. _Hmmmm…_ he thought as he watched Jinta and the girl shooting angry glares at each other. He then placed a hand on his hat and said, with an enormous grin on his face, "Well, you're in the right place then. My name's Kisuke Urahara and I am the owner of this shop. Come inside and we'll get you everything you need Miss…?"

"Smithson. Taylor Smithson." the girl replied cautiously. Urahara stepped inside his shop, motioning for Taylor to follow. Reluctantly, Taylor entered the yard, returned the nasty look that Jinta shot at her as she passed, and disappeared inside.

…

The Urahara Shop is probably the weirdest store I've ever been in. The area where business is conducted is a short straight hallway, ending in another low porch. The sides of the aisle are lined with shelves filled with an assortment of goods, all of which I have never seen before. I can't begin to guess what most of the stuff is, let alone what it's supposed to be for. Urahara has seated himself, cross-legged, on the porch, pen and paper in hand. I examine him more closely as he writes out the directions to the high school.

Urahara seems to be like his shop- more than a bit out of place in the modern world. He's definitely not an ordinary guy. His hair is a sandy blonde, his chin stubbly, like he tends to forget to shave. I can't see his eyes. He is wearing a happi coat, traditional geta sandals, and the bucket hat. Yes, Mr. Urahara is indeed a strange man and he seems to know a lot more then he lets on. I can't figure out what his motivation is for helping me. There is a vague buzzing in the back of my head, similar to the feeling I get when I sense ghosts. It kinda feels like someone's probing my brain with an invisible force. It's making me kind of dizzy…

"So, are you new in town?" Urahara is watching me carefully as he writes.

"Yea. My mom and I moved here about a week ago." I shift uncomfortably from foot to foot under his scrutiny.

"Ah…" He has finished. Smiling ever so slightly, he hands me the paper he has scribbled the directions on.

I smile warily in return. "Thanks you," is my murmured reply.

I turn to leave, eager to get away Urahara's strange little shop before something really weird happens. It's not that I'm afraid of Urahara or that I think he's gonna do something to me. It just seems like he knows way too much about me to be gathered in such a short meeting. That knowing little smile of his…It's like he can see inside my soul or something. I shiver slightly at the thought and walk a little faster, passing through the shop's gate and heading back the way I came.

…

Urhara stared after Tyalor, the knowing smile still tugging at his lips. Tessai, who had arrived just in time to witness Taylor's departure, turned to look questioningly at Urahara.

"Who was that?"

Urahara's smile tuned into a grin as he stood. "Someone we're going to be seeing a lot more if I'm not mistaken."

_**Karakura 1**__**st**__** High School…Just before 3**__**rd**__** period…10:02am**_

"All these Hollows we've had to fight recently are driving me crazy" Ichigo yawned, rubbing the back of his head. The dark circles under his eyes attested to a week of too little sleep.

"I'm afraid there isn't much we can do other than follow orders," Rukia replied, intent on the device that detected the presence of Hollows and received her orders from the Soul Society. Despite the firmness of her words Rukia was having doubts of her own. The recent rise in the number of Hallows worried her greatly. However, she couldn't figure out why there would suddenly be more Hollows than normal…

Ichigo continued grumbling under his breath as he watched more of their classmates file in for third period. Rukia ignored him. Both of them were standing on the far side of the classroom by the windows so he had a good view. Unfortunately, nothing interesting was happening so he turned to look out the window, intent on zoning out as he watched the birds pecking at the dirt in the schoolyard. A sudden increase in the noise level of the class brought both his and Rukia's attention back to the center of the room.

A girl, dressed in the school uniform with a ragged hat pulled low over her face, had appeared in the doorway. She was quite tall, her build was athletic, but curvy, and set the cogs of more than one boy's imagination into motion. No one seemed to know who she was.

"It's really odd to have a new student come _this_ late in the term," Ichigo heard Mizuiro whisper.

"So? I'm not complaining!" Keigo whispered back.

Ichigo turned back to watch as the girl walked to the teacher's desk and handed him a note. The teacher looked at it carefully before nodding in acceptance. However, as the girl turned away he spoke up. "I'm sorry Miss Smithson but hats are against the school dress code. You'll have to take it off."

The girl paused. She stood rigid and tense, her body language clearly indicating her displeasure. Then, slowly, reluctantly she pulled the hat off her head. The level of whispering nearly broke the sound barrier and Ichigo's eyes opened wide. Bright, golden blonde hair spilled down to the girl's shoulders and bright, blue eyes gave the room a quick scan. She then shot a glare at every kid in the class that quite clearly said "Leave me or alone or die" and made her way to a desk in the back corner.

Ichigo was still for a moment, too shocked to move. Not only was the girl striking and gorgeous, but he could feel spiritual pressure rolling off her in waves. The feel of her energy was almost oppressive. Of course it didn't help that the girl was conspicuously inhospitable towards the class. He also couldn't help but feel that he had seen her somewhere before. But where? _Who is she?_ he thought, his brain working furiously. _Who? Surely I would remember someone with that much spirit energy! _

"Ichigo…do you feel that?" Ichigo jumped a little, startled, and refocused his attention on Rukia. Her eyes were focused on the girl and her voice was calculating.

"Yea…And I feel like I've seen her somewhere before…" And that's when it hit him. Or rather he had hit her. "Aw, hell…" Ichigo muttered slapping his hand against his forehead.

…

I sit, arms crossed, scowling resolutely at my chosen desk. I can the whispers all around me. Maybe if I ignore them they'll all shut up. Yea right. That never works.

I'm just so sick of. Why can't they all just shut the hell up and leave me alone? I get this every damn time I move somewhere new. What ever happened to 'if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all'? Of course coming in late didn't help either. Great, they're starting to point now too. My frown has reached cosmic proportions.

My furious thoughts are interrupted by a high, cheery voice that makes me want to tear my own ears off. "Hello! My name is Rukia Kuchiki! I'm new here too. Why don't we be friends?" I turn my scowl upward to see my newest source of irritation.

I am met with the sight of a short, black haired girl. A smile that is fat too large and joyful to be natural is plastered across her face. And she's…curtsying? I look up at her again, exasperated. She does look kind of familiar though…

As I am considering where I could have possibly seen this insane chick before, I notice another person standing behind her. He is tall with impossibly orange hair and he seems to be very interested in something on the ceiling. Clearly he doesn't want to be over here talking to me anymore than I want him or his friend to be. He looks really familiar too…

However, before I am able to think anymore the girl takes notice of where I'm looking. "Oh! And this is my friend Ichigo!"

Ichigo! It's him! The guy from yesterday! I could have ignored him before? His hair is like a great, blinking sign shouting 'Hey! Ichigo is here!'

"**You**!" I shout and stand, my finger inches from Ichigo's nose.

He looks completely confused and…embarrassed? "Huh?"

"You! You're the dumbass who ran into me yesterday!"

"So?" He has now tuned his attention to something out the window, a slight blush staining his cheeks a delicate pink.

"So?! You knocked me down yesterday and you don't even care!" Apparently this Ichigo kid remembers me. Good. I am going to make him pay for yesterday. He may be embarrassed about it, but that doesn't mean he feels any remorse for what he did. "And you owe me a new hat!" I continue, brandishing the offending item in his face.

Ichigo turns to look at my hat briefly before closing his eyes and crossing his arms. "No way in hell."

"What?! You bastard!"

"Now, now both of you. Please calm down!" Rukia is obviously still pretending to be sweet and innocent as she attempts to resolve our argument, which has managed to attract the attention of our entire class, as well as several classes farther down the hall. "Ichigo I think you should apologize to this girl."

"What?!" Heh. Now that seemed to surprise him.

"Ichigo…" Rukia growled threateningly. Her entire demeanor has changed in the blink of an eye. She is no longer a fake happy girl, but is someone who demands respect and obedience. Her eyes have taken on the hard gleam of those who have seen more than their fair share of the ugly side of the world.

Ichigo doesn't get another chance to protest, however, as the bell signals for the start of class. Everyone's attention returns to the front of the room as the teacher attempts to restore order. Ichigo and Rukia both turn to go back to their seats, but not before giving me their last looks. Ichigo's is indignant. Clearly he doesn't like me. Well, that's too damn bad, because I don't care! Bastard… Rukia's expression is more reserved. She seems to be examining me, like I'm some kind of puzzle and she has yet to figure out where all the pieces go. I can't say I like it anymore than Ichigo's look.

Sighing heavily I sit back down, resting my head in my hands. I'm glad I've made such a good impression on my first day. At least the whispering has abated.

**Author's Note:**

_Well that's the second chapter of "The Natural Blonde". I hope you enjoyed it!! As you can see it's quite a lot longer than the first. I hope to continue to make my chapters longer. They probably will be longer too because there's more that I want to put in each chapter._

_Also I would like to give a special shout out to Chinabear62092 who is, so far, my one and only reviewer. Thank you Chinabear62092 for reviewing this story and encouraging me to continue it!_

_Ok so a couple notes…_

_I got the names for the coat and sandals that Urahara wears off a website that's about traditional Japanese clothing ( If either of the names I used are incorrect I apologize! And please tell me if they are so I can correct them._

_Most of the details, like the names of places, I have and will be getting out of the manga. It's not that those kinds of things aren't mentioned in the anime, it's just that I don't notice them...' I'm just letting everyone know because there may be some minor detail differences that people who have only seen the anime will notice._

_And there is something that I would like some feedback on from the people who have decided to follow this story…pairings. Eventually, there will be pairings in this story so I would like to decide who is paired with whom early on, so I can begin to set up the pairings early on. Chinabear62092 has expressed the desire for this story to be an Ichigo X OC story. I don't know if I want to do this or some other pairings yet so I would like to know what everyone else thinks! I have several different pairings in mind (actually I know what I want it to be if it isn't IchigoxOC), and feedback would really help me decide which one to actually write!_

_Anyways, once I again I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Please review and tell me what you think about the pairings( IchigoxOC or OCx?)! And I hope you look forward to the currently untitled third chapter!_

_Kudos to you if you actually read the whole Author's Note!_

_**imagination junkie**_


	3. Monster in the Shadows

**Disclaimer:** _I do not own Bleach or anyone or anything from Bleach. It's as simple as that. Everything else, however, is mine. :D _

Chapter 3: Monster in the Shadows

…_**4:24 pm...**_

"Mom I'm home!"

WHAM!

I slam the door of the apartment closed behind me. What a day…I **never **want to go back to school.

I sigh heavily, dropping my bag by the door as I scan the room. My mother's work shoes are by the door, but she doesn't seem to be home. A piece of paper taped to the fridge door catches my eye. It's a note. I grab, read it, and then crumple it into a ball, chucking at the far wall as my temper gets the better of me. My mom has already been and gone, leaving me alone for the night to go out drinking with some of her new friends at work.

Groaning head into the main part of the room and throw myself, headfirst, onto the sofa. I jump up again, almost immediately, as the vile stench of alcohol fills my nose and mouth. Gagging slightly, I head to my room to change out of my school uniform and into normal clothes. If my mom is going out for the night then so will I. Maybe I can even find myself a new hat…

…_**9:18 pm…**_

Unsuccessful in locating a new hat and growing hungry again after my cheap, fast food dinner, I've now been wandering the streets of Karakura Town for 5 hours or so. However, I am no closer to learning my way around than I was this morning and I really just want to go home and go to bed.

Unfortunately I don't think that's going to happen anytime soon. I seem to be lost again…I stop on a street corner to take a look around. I'm in a quiet little suburban neighborhood. The soft light from streetlights and from the windows of the homes illuminates the driveways and well kept lawns of the neat little houses.

I've often wondered what it would be like to live in a house like these. I've wondered what it's like to have a real family, to have mother who's not a drunkard, to have a father, even what it would be like to brothers and sisters. Most of all I've wondered what it's like to have a real home. But, I gave up dreaming like that a long time ago. The fact is my situation isn't go to change. Dreams like these are just a waste of time and energy.

So, I take one last wishful look at all the cozy little homes and move on, heading for the brighter lights of downtown.

…

Somehow I've managed to get myself more lost. Tired and very frustrated I walk into a little neighborhood playground and settle myself on one of the swings, hoping that a neighborhood watch car will come along and point me in the right direction. After about five minutes I give up, impatient, and prepare to head out again. Before I am able to go two steps, however, I freeze.

My death sense twinges, a sharp sensation buzzing in the back of my skull, stopping me in my tracks. This isn't the normal sensation I get when I sense the presence of the dead. There is something much more sinister and threatening about it. I spin quickly, searching for what ever is causing this horrible buzz in by brain.

That's when I hear it. The hollow, empty roar echoes in my bones and sends chills shooting through my limbs. I freeze again, rooted to the spot as terror grips at my stomach. The howl I just heard is the same one I heard in my dream last night.

The feeling in my head comes again, sharper this time, and I am able to locate its source. I turn, dreading what I am about to see. At the top of the hill there is a dark silhouette. It is large and bulky and I am unable to distinguish its shape. I squint, my stomach clenching harder, my heart pounding in my chest. There's some kind of haze rising off of it…It's like the creature in my dream I realize, but this knowledge doesn't ease my anxiety and, as the creature rears back, letting out another bone-chilling howl, I realize it is something out of nightmares, not dreams.

The creature has six legs, making me initially think that it is some kind of insect. However, a long tail, whipping like a hunting cat's tail, makes me think it's shaped more like a lizard. As the creature advances down the hill on four of its six clawed feet, I am able to see a white mask on its head. The mask has vaguely human features, but they are too elongated and pointed. A mouth that is far too large for the creature's face is lined with huge teeth and its tongue lolls eagerly out to the side. Hungry eyes, like bright yellow flares, burn deep inside the mask's eye sockets. And there is gaping hole in the creature's chest, through which I can see the night sky.

It's a monster and it keeps coming, but I can't move. My brain is screaming 'Run you damn fool, run!', but my body won't listen. My blood has gone cold, my mouth dry, and it feels like my heart is about to burst out my chest. I've never felt terror like this before. It's suffocating. Damn it! That monster…I don't know what it is, but I know that it wants to kill me. I can see the murderous intent glowing in its hungry eyes. Move body! Move, damn it! **Move!!**

The monster has entered the playground and pauses barely 10 feet away, just on the other side of the slide. It seems to be considering the best way for it to attack me and eat me. The monster throws back its head, roaring again, drops down onto all six feet, and charges, crashing straight through the slide. My limbs are suddenly imbued with the power to move again and dive away, headfirst, into the unforgiving surface of old wood chipss, just barely avoiding the creature's attack.

I waste no time worrying about and fresh cuts or splinters as I scramble to my feet. I dash out of the park and down the street concentrating on one thing only: getting away. Behind my I can hear the creature roaring and thrashing about. Its angry howls only urge me to run faster as they chase me down the quiet, empty streets.

…

My lungs are on fire, my breath coming in short, labored gasps. My legs feel like jelly, my muscles screaming for me to stop with every step. There is a horrible stitch in my side, the pain so intense that I'm sure my side is about to split open. But I can't stop running, If I stop….I can't even begin to imagine what that monster will do to me if it catches me. I don't know why in hell it's chasing me but that doesn't really matter at this point. Survival is my primary concern. Only adrenaline and fear are keeping me going now.

I whip around another corner, nearly slipping and falling as my feet struggle for purchase on the concrete sidewalk. Idly my shocked and vacant brain wonders why no one

has come out to see what all the noise is about. Why no one has seen me and my hunter flying down the neighborhood streets. I would have thought that people would notice a 10 foot, giant monster chasing a terrified teenage girl around the city. Apparently not. I knew this town was weird.

The area that I'm in looks familiar. It's the business district that I got lost in this morning, I realize, as I race past rows of drab office buildings. Does that mean?...Yes! I am filled with hope as I spot the gap between the office buildings that is home to The Urahara Shop. For some strange reason I am certain that Urahara and his strange little shop can and will be able to help.

I race across the street, hurdle the gate, and dash to the porch of the shop. "Help! Someone please help!" I shout, pounding my fists against the wood of the door.

Several lights flicker on inside the building and I intensify my knocking as hope and desperation swell in my chest. "Urahara? Mr. Urahara? Someone please! Open up!" I can't help but feel slightly embarrassed by the squeaky pitch my voice has reached.

I reel back as the door suddenly slides open, revealing a very tired looking Urhara. He is unsuccessful in stifling an enormous yawn as he peers at me inquiringly and with thinly veiled annoyance.

"There this big thing- monster thing chasing me! It's got six legs….mask…hole in it's chest!" I stammer out, my sentences and words sliding together in my rush to say them. I fall silent, simply pleading with eyes as desperation closes my throat. He stares back at me blankly. "Please help me!" I manage to squeak out.

Urahara opens his mouth to speak, but is cut short as another howl echoes down the street. Urahara's expression changes just as swiftly, going from a disgruntled to all business. Urahara pulls me inside and down the aisle, slamming the door shut behind us.

"Quickly, follow me" he says, his tone sharp and serious as he disappears into a room in the back of the store.

"But-"

"Quickly!" he snaps. Timidly I follow, fear robbing me of my free will.

Urahara leads me to a storage room in the back of his shop. I stand immobile by the door as he rummages around among the boxes of his odd goods.

"Aha!" Apparently he has found what he is looking for. Turning around, he throws something at me. Fumbling slightly, I catch it. It's a sword. My panic momentarily forgotten, I unsheathe the sword a little, intrigued. I nearly drop the sword in shock and sudden horror as I see the blade.

"What the hell am I supposed to do with this thing?!" I yell, flustered, at Urahara.

"Why, use it of course." He's grinning like a madman.

"Use it?! How the hell am I supposed to use a rusty, old sword?!" It's true. The weapon is so rusty that I can't see even the slightest gleam of light on the steel blade.

"Well that's the real test then isn't it." Urahara replies, his tone becoming serious again. "Either you use that sword to fight the Hollow or…" he looks up, catching my eyes with his own, "You die."

I gulp. A bead of sweat slowly traces its way down my temple. "But…what?" My voice is shaky, matching the tremors racing through my body. "What is that thing and how…how am I supposed to fight it?" In the middle of all of this my mind has become clear. Or perhaps I've just gone insane. But I can't help but think if I knew how I can fight that monster…I could beat it.

But my hopes are dashed as Urahara seizes me again and pushes me back the way we came. Before I know it, I am standing on the porch outside the shop again. I turn to face Urahara. "I am afraid you'll have to figure out how to use that sword on your own." His expression is faintly apologetic. He than snaps the door shut, leaving me to my fate.

I stiffen as another roar breaks the silence behind me. It's much, much closer now. Slowly, almost mechanically, I turn. The monster is sniffing around the gate to the yard, currently unaware of my presence. Now what? There has to be a way out of this. Obviously I'm not going to get back into the Urahra Shop…maybe I can sneak around the monster? Yea right!

My mind is racing as the creature looks up, finally noticing that I am there. It throws back its head and roars in triumph, and then rushes forward, assured of its kill. I scream and throw myself to the side, landing headfirst in the dirt as I narrowly avoid being crushed in the monster's charge. The monster is stopped several inches before it collides with the storefront and recoils, screaming in agony as it is repelled my some kind of force field surrounding The Urahrara Shop. I waste no more time watching the creature writhing, however. Leaping to my feet and still clutching Urahara's "gift", I vault over the wreckage of the gate and sprint to the only place that I know the way to: Karakura 1st High School.

_**...the Kurosaki Clinic…**_

"Please?"

"No."

"Come on Ichigo, please?"

"For the last time Kon, no you cannot come to school with me!"

Ichigo's eye twitched as he tried to keep from punching in the face of the annoying stuffed animal in front of him. Oblivious to the danger, Kon turned his biggest, most pathetic pleading eyes on Ichigo and begged one more time, "Please Ichigo? I'm bored sitting around here all day! I promise I'll be good if you'll take me to school with you!"

Ichigo opened his mouth to respond, but was cut short by the sound of his closet door slamming open. A disgruntled and sleepy Rukia positioned herself in the open doorway and fixed Ichigo and Kon with a heated glare, "Do you two mind?! I'm trying to get some sleep in here!"

Kon cowered behind Ichigo's knee, mumbling something about being sorry. Scowling, Ichigo turned to Rukia to retort with a heated statement of his own, when he was interrupted again. Rukia pulled the beeping spirit pager from the pocket of her pajamas, flipped it open, and inspected the message inside. Ichigo sighed and stood, grabbing Kon around his plushy neck to keep the Mod Soul from escaping.

"An order?"

"Yea," Rukia replied, looking up. "It's moving fast towards the high school. I think it's the Hollow that got away yesterday."

Ichigo was mildly surprised. "And I was worried that it was going to give ups more trouble than this. Well, let's go take care of it."

Rukia nodded firmly in agreement as Ichigo stuck his hand down Kon's throat, the teddy bear squirming valiantly in his grasp.

…

The high school is just up ahead. I push myself just a little harder as the sight of my goal reenergizes my exhausted muscles. Reaching the gate, I scramble up and over, landing hard on the other side. Frantically, I look around the schoolyard searching for a place to hide. I can hear the monster's angry howls as it comes tearing down the street after me.

There! I spy an old storage shed at the back of the yard pressed up against the fence and half hidden behind the main school building. I sprint forward, my desperation reaching its peak as the monster crashes into the gate.

Reaching the shed, I tear the door open and throw myself inside, yanking the door shut behind me. Wading through years of stockpiled junk, I make my way to the very back corner of the shed and sit, pulling myself into the tightest ball that I can. I am surprised to find that I still have a death grip on the sword that Urhara gave me. For some reason I do feel better having it, even if it is just a worthless piece of junk that I don't know how to use.

There is another roar and an almighty crash. The monster has gotten through the gate. Scrunching myself further into the corner, I wait for it to find me. It has fallen deathly quiet. The silence lies heavily on my ears. I'm certain that the monster will hear my heart pounding in my chest or my labored breathing. I sit, terrified, as anxiety gnaws away at my insides. It's horrible to admit but, there is nothing I can do now except sit and hope the monster doesn't fine me.

Suddenly there is an explosion all around me. The shed is ripped apart and debris flies everywhere. A sudden lifting feeling rises in my chest and I get the sensation that I am being ripped out of my skin. Then there is nothing as I tumble through the remains of the shed, everything rolling into a continuous blur of earth and sky.

When the world finally stops spinning I find that I've landed about 20 feet from the original location of the shed, thankfully completely missing what remains of the broken building. But, something's wrong. The light has changed, causing the difference between light and dark to stand out much more than normal. The monster is easier to see, its white mask a stark contrast to its black body. Everything else, however, has melted into heavy shades of gray and has become blurry and indistinct.

Squinting, I try to get a better look at the rest of the yard. Gradually things come into focus. There's something odd lying at the monster's feet. What is it? I squint harder, willing the lump of darkness into focus. It looks like a…body?

"Wh-What? No…**No**!" My voice cracks as I realize that person lying at the monster's feet has blonde hair. Me. It has to be me!

But how can I be there and be here?! I look down to inspect myself more closely, a million conflicting emotions threatening to boil over inside me. I freeze, suddenly cold, when I see a chain protruding from a hole in my chest. Slowly I raise my eyes, following the chain as it winds its way across the ground. My worst fears are confirmed as I see the chain disappear beneath the body lying among the wreckage.

Seized with a sudden fear of this connection, I grab the chain, intending to pull it out of my chest. I yank, hard, but stop as it suddenly becomes much harder for me to breathe. It feels like I'm going to suffocate…Damn. What the hell…Now what do I do? I'm connected to that body over there but I have to get away! I** have** to!

A low, gravely chuckle pulls me out of my panicked thoughts. "You really are clueless aren't you?" the voice mocks, and I realize that it is the monster whom is speaking.

"That chain coming out of your chest is the only thing keeping your soul attached to your body," it continues, filling me with dread. "If you pull that change out of your chest, you're a goner." Slowly, the monster is advancing on me, its tongue whipping eagerly about. I should move. I should try to run away again. But I can't. Petrified I sit, unable to prevent the death that is now looming above me.

"Not that it matters if you pull your Chain of Fate out or not. I'm going to eat you and you're going to die anyways!" The creature lunges forward, its mouth wide open and ready to bite me in half.

I close my eyes, clutch the sword that I am **still** somehow holding tighter, and scream. WHAM! However, there are no sudden sharp pains from my torso and I don't seem to have met my demise. Cracking one eye open I am met with quite possibly the strangest sight I will ever see. A person dressed in a black mean's kimono is standing over me. They are holding the monster at bay with the largest sword I have ever seen (it has to be at least as tall as he is!).

My savior makes a massive heave with his sword and pushes the creature back. It howls in pain as the sword slices through its shoulder, pushing it back even farther. This movement has enabled me to get a better look at my rescuer. My eyes widen in surprise as I get a glimpse of the shocking orange hair that crowns the person's head.

"I-Ichigo?!"

The guy glances back at me and my suspicions are confirmed. It is that bastard Ichigo!

**Author's Note:**

_Well that's the third chapter. I can't say it's my best, but I wanted to get something up. It's gonna get better though. It's just getting to the meat at the beginning of the story :)_

_On to business…I am going on a trip for the next couple of weeks and will not have access to a computer. Therefore, there will no posts until late July. Also I would still like to hear what people think about this story being an IchiOC I leave on Friday and I will make my decision then. So, if you care at all, you better tell me before Friday._

_I'd also like to give a shout out to dnite'07, who is my second reviewer. Thank you dnite'07! To everyone else, please review! If you liked the story then please tell me. I like to hear compliments and reader support gives me the motivation to continue this story. And if you didn't like this story then please review and tell me why you didn't like it._

_Thanks for reading!_

_**imagination junkie**_


	4. The Sword and the Soul Reaper

**Disclaimer:** _I do not own Bleach or anyone or anything from Bleach. It's as simple as that. Everything else, however, is mine. :D _

**Chapter 4: The Sword and the Soul Reaper**

"There!" Rukia shouted as the high school came into view. Ichigo looked ahead to see the dark shape of the Hollow in the schoolyard.

"I'll take care of this…" he growled, leaping forward. He heard Rukia shout 'Be careful!' at his back.

Ichigo glanced down as he jumped over the twisted metal remains of what had been the school's gate. _School's going to be interesting tomorrow…_ Slightly exasperated, Ichigo paused in his approach. The Hollow looked like it was stalking something. He could just make out its gravely voice, though he couldn't understand what it was saying. Suddenly the Hollow rushed forward and a horrified Ichigo realized that there is a figure- a person- at its feet.

"Damn it!" Ichigo swore, drawing his zanpakuto and sprinting towards them. WHAM! Ichigo heaved an inner sigh of relief as his sword and the Hollow's face collided. He had gotten there in time.

Ichigo and the Hollow were at a stalemate for a moment, their muscles straining as they tried to overpower each other. Then with a grunt and a great amount of effort, Ichigo pushed the Hollow back, leaving a large cut in its shoulder in the process. The Hollow pulled back, thrashing at the pain in its shoulder, and gave the substitute Soul Reaper a chance to catch his breath.

"I-Ichigo?!"

The name was hardly more than a whisper but he heard it anyways. Ichigo turned slightly to glance at whomever he had rescued and was so shocked that he almost cried out. _Taylor?!?_ The person he had rescued was the same girl he had run into the day before. The same girl who had confronted him in class that morning. The girl who (apparently) hated his guts. _Why in hell would a Hollow be chasing her?!_

Taylor sat crouched behind Ichigo. Her eyes were wide and her face blank in a daze that Ichigo recognized from his family's clinic as shock. Her face and body were covered in cuts and bruises. An old fashioned katana was clutched tightly in her gasp, her knuckles white against the black scabbard. A chain protruded from a small hole in her chest. Ichigo frowned as he traced the chain with his eyes, finding another body, identical to the one sitting behind him among the wreckage of a destroyed building. The chain was the Chain of Fate, meaning that Taylor's soul had been expelled from her physical body. She was now a spiritual entity and in more danger than she probably realized.

"What the hell are you doing just sitting there?" Ichigo shouted angrily, turning to face her. "Get back in your body and get the hell out of here!"

Taylor blinked and her shock induced stupor evaporated. Ichigo was taken aback as she began to tremble. She had been so fierce that morning…_I suppose it's to be expected though. I was terrified the first time I saw a Hollow too… _

"What…what's going on?" she mumbled, turning confused and frightened eyes on Ichigo. She was obviously still deeply shaken.

Ichigo froze, feeling awkward for a moment. Then his expression softened slightly. "Don't worry. I'll take care of the Hollow. I promise I won't let it kill you."

Taylor's shaking slowed as her eyes gained a glimmer of hope and relief. A howl broke through the short-lived calm and as Ichigo turned to face it, realizing his mistake, he silently cursed his moment of softness. The monstrous beast pounced on Ichigo, pinning him to the ground with one large foot. Ichigo's zanpakuto was knocked from his hand and landed some ten feet away. Ichigo was trapped and unable to reach his only real weapon.

"**Ichigo!**" Rukia ran forward, bringing her hands up into a spell-casting position. Dodging around the girl, Rukia's surprised eyes followed Taylor as they passed each other, running in opposite directions. _Why would this Hollow want to attack her? She does have unusually high spirit energy for a human, but not enough to attract the attention of a strong Hollow like this one. _

Rukia's distraction became her downfall. As soon as she came into range the Hollow whipped its tail, striking Rukia in the side and smashing her into the side of the school building.

"Rukia!" Ichigo yelled, watching her fall to the ground. She didn't rise. Rukia had been knocked out. "You bastard…" Ichigo snarled, turning a livid glare on the Hollow. "You'll pay for that!"

The Hollow cackled, its tongue whipping gleefully back and forth. "You fool. Your concern for others will be your demise. However, I'm afraid your death will have to wait. That delicious smelling soul of the blonde girl is the first one I want to devour!" And with that the Hollow stomped on Ichigo's chest, grinding his body in to the hard-packed dirt of the schoolyard.

Ichigo gasped, choking on his own blood as he felt several ribs break. _Damn it!_ He knew he wants going anywhere anytime soon. Wordlessly he hoped that Taylor got away. Still laughing, the Hollow turned to chase her down.

Fighting the pain that shot throughout his torso, Ichigo managed to push himself up enough to see what was going. Taylor was halfway back to her body and the Hollow was already bearing down on her. She would never get away in time. _No…!_

…

"**Look out!**"

The shout almost made me jump out my skin. But I can't stop running. I'm so close now...the monster's feral roar, however, stops me in my tracks. My body is stiff with fear and I find it difficult to turn, knowing what I must be about to see.

My scream dies in my throat. The monster has abandoned its fight with Ichigo and is nearly upon me. The girl, Rukia, is lying against the wall of the school building, apparently unconscious. Blood drips sluggishly from a cut above her eyebrow. Ichigo is lying in a small, broken crater. A line of blood traces its way down his chin as he struggles to push himself up. He promised he would save me. So much for that. I knew I shouldn't have dared to hope that he would help me.

My mind goes blank as the monster looms above me, mouth wide and eager for the kill. On pure instinct I draw the sword I am carrying, the rusty steel screeching in protest as it exits its sheath. With a yell I bring the blade up to meet my attacker.

WHAM! My mind goes blank as a blinding white light fills my vision and an unearthly hum fills my ears.

…

Ichigo's vision had recovered…at least he thought so. What he was seeing was so far beyond belief that he couldn't help but wonder if he was hallucinating. Rukia, who had just awakened with a hideous headache and a minor concussion, was thinking the same thing. The word 'impossible' kept running through her head, like her brain was stuck in a loop. There was just no way…

Taylor had managed to stop the Hollow's strike by becoming a Soul Reaper. She wore the full uniform, right down to the socks and sandals on her feet. Her sword, no longer the rusty blade she had drawn from the scabbard, had become a zanpakuto, the spiritual pressure seeping from the weapon identifying it as such. It was lodged in a crack in the Hollow's mask that was a long as the mask itself. And Taylor's spiritual pressure was no longer that of an unusually strong human. It was now that of a Soul Reaper, the kind that made those sensitive to spirits feel like their bodies were being pressed into the earth.

With another yell, Taylor forced her zanpakuto through the Hollow's mask, freeing the weapon and making the fracture twice as wide. Without pausing to flip the blade around Taylor then cut upward, slicing the Hollow's head in two. With a final tormented wail, the Hollow disintegrated into nothing and vanished.

With the Hollow exorcized Ichigo and Rukia were able to get a better look at Taylor's zanpakuto. The oval guard was elaborately styled with cutouts shaped like feathers wrapping around the blade's base and the hilt was long, wrapped in glinting, gold thread. But the blade itself was the most unusual characteristic of the sword. At first glance, Taylor's zanpakto looked like a normal sword. Upon closer inspection however, Ichigo and Rukia saw that the sides of the blade had been switched: the long side of the blade was dull while the short side gleamed with deadly precision.

_I've never seen a zanpakuto like that before._ Rukia thought, shocked and awed at the same time. _The blade…it's reversed._ There was something very strange and unusual about Taylor. The shape of her zanpakuto confirmed that fact. Rukia frowned deeply as she saw the mystery of who Taylor was deepen.

_How the hell did she make such a big break in that Hollow's mask with the dull side of that freaky sword?!_ Ichigo thought incredulously. There was no way. There was just no way! But, whether he liked it or not, Taylor had stopped and destroyed the Hollow. Secretly, he was relieved. When Ichigo had agreed to help Rukia by being a Soul Reaper he had sworn to protect innocent souls and to help the fallen souls that were the Hollows pass on to the Soul Society. If a Hollow ate a soul and he couldn't stop it…well, Ichigo knew it would weigh heavily on his conscience. Ichigo also felt a little guilty. After all, he **had** promised to help Taylor and Ichigo always kept his promises, even if they were to people that he disliked.

A sudden fit of coughing drew Ichigo's attention back to his injuries and Rukia's attention back to Ichigo. Rising swiftly, Rukia hurried over to make sure that Ichigo was treated.

…

HUFF…HUFFF…HUFF…

All I can do is pant, my shoulder's heaving. I feel kind of stiff: like how you feel the day after you work out way more than you're used to. Slowly, I stand and study myself.

I am dressed in a black men's kimono. The sword Urahara gave me is no longer old and rusty. It has become shiny and like new, the sharp side of the blade reflecting the moonlight. It still hums faintly in my grasp, but the sound has become sweeter, almost like a purr. I am overcome by a strong sense of déjà vu or some sort of strange nostalgia. My dream, I realize, suddenly feeling lightheaded. It's just like in my dream. Again, the question of who or what is inside me rises into my consciousness. I can feel power pulsing inside me, but I don't know where it comes from.

I look up to see Rukia crouched over Ichigo, her hands glowing slightly. She keeps glancing over at me, apparently perplexed. Ichigo, on the other hand, is blatantly staring, watching me. They both seem to be okay. Rukia finishes whatever she's doing and Ichigo sits up.

"You OK?" he calls.

I nod. "Yea. You guys?" Ichigo and Rukia both nod in return.

I look down at the sword again and slowly, deliberately, sheath it. Urahara's words keep running through my mind…_"Either you learn how to use that sword or…you die."…_ I guess this means that I learned how to use it. But, now what? I may have saved myself, but I'm trapped like this. That monster, the Hollow, said that if the chain in my chest broke then I was a goner. It's vanished now I see, double-checking. Does this mean I'm dead?

Slowly, almost lethargically, I move over to where my body is laying. I can feel Ichigo and Rukia at my back. I frown. My body sure is in a sorry state. I'm covered with bruises and cuts, not to mention my clothes are covered in dirt. Cleaning up when I get home won't be fun. If I go home.

"Am I…am I dead?" There. I said it. I managed to voice the question that was burning a hole in my throat.

"I don't know." Rukia's answer makes my stomach sink. "Try to get back into your body."

I glance back at her. She nods in affirmation. Returning my gaze to the soulless figure in front of me I hesitantly reach one wavering hand forward. As soon as I touch my body the point of contact glows brightly and I get the sensation that I am being sucked into a vacuum. Everything goes dark…

I open my eyes to find that I am laying facedown, my cheek against the ground. Slowly I sit up, groaning slightly as my body complains. There is one particular bruise somewhere in the middle of my back that is especially sore. But, looking down, I realize (to my elation) that I am back in my body. I am dressed in a regular t-shirt and jeans. There's no kimono, no weird sword. I'm not dead after all: I'm alive. I'm **alive**!

Fighting the urge to jump around singing, my attention is drawn to Ichigo and Rukia who are deep in their own conversation. Ichigo looks as happy as clam (the bastard), but Rukia is more reserved.

"She really is a Soul Reaper! This is fantastic!"

"I don't know Ichigo. There's still something strange about all of this."

"So what? Who cares? I'm not the only one anymore!"

"What I don't understand is where her power came from. She did have unusually strong spirit energy for a human, but that doesn't make her a Soul Reaper. And where did she get the zanpakuto from?"

"Finally! No more late nights! This week's been killin' me, but I can finally get some actual sleep cause there's someone else who can fight the Hollows!" Wait…What? I may not have understood most of what they were talking about, but I definitely understood that!

"What?" I interrupt, voicing my concerns. Ichigo and Rukia both quiet down and look at me, confused. "Are you thinking that I am actually going to be fighting those…those…monsters?!"

They both blink. "Well, if you have become a Soul Reaper…" Rukia begins.

"Yes" Ichigo is decisive. "You're a Soul Reaper now so you have to fight Hollows. It's your job."

"No." Now they looked surprised. "I won't do it. I'm enough of a freak already without swinging a sword around at invisible monsters!" I'm slightly surprised that I'm getting so worked up. Nevertheless, I don't want any part of this. There is no way in hell that I'm gonna be whatever a "Soul Reaper" is!

Ichigo's characteristic scowl has returned. "Yes you will. You're a Soul Reaper now and it's a Soul Reaper's job to protect innocent souls and to help all souls pass on!" He's getting worked up now too.

"I didn't ask for this! I don't to be a Soul Reaper or whatever!" I'm screaming now, my clenched fists shaking partly from anger and partly from fear. "I don't even know what in hell is going on, but I don't want any part of it! I don't want to fight monsters and protect stupid souls!** I don't want to make promises that I can't keep!!**" That's not really fair and I know it. But, I don't care! I'm…I'm ashamed to admit it, but I'm scared. Terrified. Terrified of this power…and I don't have enough guts to try and figure out where it's coming from.

Ichigo stiffens and I am startled to see guilt in his eyes. He drops his head, refusing to meet my gaze, but I can see his hands clenched in frustration. Maybe I went too far…

Dismissing my regret, I turn on my heel, intent on leaving.

"Wait…" Rukia tries to stop me.

Ignoring her, I shout over my shoulder "Leave me alone! I am not going to help you guys do whatever the hell it is you do! Don't** ever **talk to me about this again!!" My fear…I just can't fight it. Does that make me a coward? A weakling? I suppose so.

And with that I am gone, taking my own guilt and shame with me and leaving a troubled Rukia and a remorseful and angry Ichigo in my wake.

**Author's Note:**

_Well, that's Chapter 4. Some parts of it I like and some parts I don't, but I wanted to post something soon (since everyone has been so patient) so…ta da! And I also would like to apologize for all the awful typos I made in the last chapter…hopefully this one isn't as bad --'_

_Ahem. Anyways…my trip was great, even if I didn't get any writing done (it was a vacation after all…). Though this chapter was kind of short I promise that the next chapter will be longer and will be filled with juicy, ploty goodness. Basically, in the next chapter A LOT about Taylor's past will be revealed and some other stuff will be explained. It will be good…I hope._

_Ok, shout outs to DX Fan, Draegan88, and Hailey-Stone who have all reviewed! And ANOTHER shout out to dnite'07 who reviewed a second time! Wow, I feel loved - See…you show appreciation to me, I show I appreciation to you!_

_I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I hope you look forward to the next one!_

_**imagination junkie**_

_Oh and P.S. Taylor's zanpakuto is supposed to be like Kenshin's sword in Rurouni Kenshin (if you've seen that show/ read the manga). _


	5. My Reason, part 1

**Disclaimer:** _I do not own Bleach or anyone or anything from Bleach. It's as simple as that. Everything else, however, is mine. :D _

**Chapter 5: My Reason, part 1**

I remember Ichigo saying something about sleepless nights. Now, I think I know what he meant. It's 4 am and I haven't even been able to close my eyes during the 5 hours or so I've been home. Instead I've kept my eyes trained on the ceiling, restless thoughts running through my mind.

Who am I? What happened tonight? How was I suddenly able to kill that monster…the Hollow? What is a Hollow anyways?! Sighing, I roll over and wish I could sleep. But, these questions keep plaguing me. And I'm not entirely sure I want answers to all of them.

The sword…what happened to it? I think it's somehow connected to my power. I have just now realized that when I woke up this morning my power had become stronger than it was the day before. I was way more sensitive to spirits this morning than I have ever been in the past. Also, I now realize that most of the people I saw this morning were dead. I was seeing the souls of the dead: ghosts. I've never been able to actually see ghosts before: just sense them. Some of them even had chains coming out of their chests. And I definitely have never seen a Hollow before either! By some means my power has grown and now I've become something more than just me. I'm a…I must be…a Soul Reaper. What does that mean?

This train of thought brings me back to Ichigo. He's Soul Reaper too. Does he have the same kind of power I have? Now that I think of it I can remember feeling some sort of strange power coming from him too…can I now sense of the souls of living as well as the dead? And Rukia's connected too…

Argh. I roll over again causing the bed to squeak loudly underneath me. My conscience has decided to give me a guilt trip. I didn't really mean all those things I said to Ichigo. I was just so scared and confused. I was completely overwhelmed and attacking Ichigo (a bit unfairly my conscience adds) was the way I tried to escape. Tried. I'm still afraid. Argh…I need to learn to keep my big mouth shut. I sigh again and turn onto my back. Slowly, the ceiling blurs and fades into black as my eyes flutter shut.

…_**At the Kurosaki Clinic…**_

Ichigo and Rukia were not much better off than Taylor was. Neither of them had managed to get any sleep yet, but because they were afraid to disturb each other they remained silent and alone with their thoughts.

Ichigo fought the urge to pound his pillow until it exploded. His guilt had turned to anger and resentment and now just thinking about Taylor made his blood boil. How dare she blame him like that! It wasn't his fault the damn Hollow had stomped on him! Ichigo had always wanted to protect people and took it as his duty to protect his friends and family. After his failed encounter with the Hollow who had killed his mother Ichigo had become especially sensitive to any failure in that enterprise. Taylor's harsh words, both wrong and somewhat justified, and dealt a bad blow to his pride and his conscience.

_That bitch!_ Ichigo thought venomously, violently throwing himself over to his other side. CRACK!! Cursing softly, he rubbed the knee he had just banged into the wall, wishing that he had never run into the blonde haired girl.

Rukia listened to Ichigo's quiet curses from inside her closet. Tonight's events had presented them with quite the dilemma. Taylor had clearly become a Soul Reaper. This worried Rukia greatly. She had a sneaking suspicion about where Taylor had gotten her zanpakuto from, but what she really needed to know was where Taylor had gotten the power to wield that zanpaktuo. Though she may have been a human with unusual spiritual strength, that didn't make her a Soul Reaper. She had to have acquired her Soul Reaper abilities from an outside source…

Rukia pulled her spirit pager out of the front pocket front of her pajamas and flipped it open. _Everything's quiet…for now._ Carefully she flipped the device shut. Clearly she and Ichigo would have to do something about Taylor. If they didn't more and more Hollows would be drawn to hunt her and that would put many other people in danger. Rukia closed her eyes, silently promising herself that she would come up with a solution in the morning.

_**Karakura 1**__**st**__** High School…The end of 4**__**th**__** period…11:57 am…**_

Remember those old Peanuts cartoons? The ones where all the grownups talk in 'Wahs'? Well, that's all I've been getting from my teachers all morning. No matter how hard I try I just can't seem to focus. My thoughts are all scattered, like the unlucky bug that gets smashed on a windshield. Wow…that was a nice simile…obviously my lack of sleep isn't helping either.

I can't stop thinking about the dream that my unconsciousness managed to insert into the couple hours of sleep I did get. It was another one in which I'm dressed like a Soul Reaper. However, this time I didn't have a sword and there weren't any weird shadowy creatures. Instead there were other people dressed like Soul Reapers and we were all sitting around and talking and laughing. It was actually very pleasant. A happy dream.

The other reason(s) I can't concentrate are Ichigo and Rukia. They've been shooting me weird looks all day. Most of Rukia's glances have been curious, perplexed, questioning stares. I can't help but wonder why she seems so intrigued by me. All of Ichigo's looks have been intense glares, the kind that say 'If you so much as look back at me I'm gonna kill you!!' I guess he's still mad…heh heh. Oops.

Sighing heavily I rest my chin in my palm and try to fight gravity as it tempts my lids downwards. If only this teacher wasn't soooo boring…it's so close now. So close… Just a little longer….

BBBBBBBBRRRRRRRRRRRIIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNNGGGGGGGGGG!!!

Yes. Lunchtime.

The noise level in classroom explodes as everyone prepares to leave for lunch. I can hear the teacher trying (in vain) to shout something about homework over the rumble that is the exiting class. Grabbing my brown-bag lunch, I bolt for the door intent on finding the quietest and most isolated spot in the school. The roof, I decide, as I stride down the hallway. No one's going to eat on the roof.

…

"Where…is it? Damn it…" I can't help complaining aloud as I fish around in my paper bag for the tuna sandwich I made this morning. The roof has proved to be quite a nice location. The sun is pleasantly warm on my back and a cooling breeze breathes around me, keeping the air from getting too hot. Now, if only I could find my sandwich…

I have just triumphantly pulled the sandwich from my bag when there is the loud squeak of a door swinging open and the sound of footsteps on the concrete rooftop. Twisting around I see Ichigo framed by the doorway with a bag of his own and wearing a scowl that, if looks could kill, would have had me six feet under already. I knew he was still mad.

"What the hell are you doing here?" he questions, his voice cold, hard, and razor sharp.

"Well, I **was** going to eat my lunch." I reply, my voice just as icy. The remorse I've been feeling since I got home last night has evaporated in my indignation. Before I did want to apologize for what I said to him after he rescued me. I might even have thanked him! But, now? No way in hell. "Then again, since I seem to be in your personal lunch spot, I'll leave." I stand and purposefully walk towards the door.

Ichigo, however, makes no move to get out of my way. Instead he just stands there glaring daggers at me as I stop a few feet away. I open my mouth to tell him to get out the way, but he interrupts.

"What the hell is your problem anyway?" he asks, his look scathing. I have to admit he is kind of intimidating when's angry. There's something wild, almost crazed, hidden deep within his eyes. It takes all my willpower to keep from flinching at the harshness of his expression and his next words. "I risk my life to save your ass and all you can do is yell? Do you have one scrap of concern for anyone but yourself? After all I did, the **least** you could do was show some damn understanding!"

I blink, surprised. Ichigo really does take that Soul Reaper thing seriously. Or, perhaps, there is some kind of deeper motivation… Or maybe he's just being bitchy. But, I know what I have to do, despite feeling resentful.

"I…I'm sorry." I say grudgingly. Refusing to meet his now amazed and puzzled eyes I continue, "I went too far last night. I didn't mean all the things that I said. I'm sorry. Now please, move."

Silently, he complies and I walk past him and down the stairs. I can feel his gaze on my back as I disappear from sight, descending into the shadows of the staircase. I pass his little gang of friends on the way down. They all go silent and watch me inquiringly as I hurry past them. As I reach the bottom of the stairs I can hear their voices exploding with questions about what we were doing together before the door snaps soundly shut.

I feel as though I've had a great weight lifted off my shoulders. I've been feeling guilty since I woke up this morning and apologizing has relieved some of the pressure. Still though, I wonder if it was the right thing to do. Do I really owe him that much? And he might start getting ideas that I'll change my mind about being a Soul Reaper. Shouldn't I get to decide whether or not I take on that responsibility? Shaking my head to clear these thoughts of out my mind I head back downstairs to the classroom in hopes of having a quiet peaceful lunch.

My hopes are squashed, however, as I arrive to find a small group of girls clustered around several desks in the middle of the room. To my surprise I see that Rukia is one of them. I would have thought she and Ichigo would hang out together…apparently not. All the girls turn and stare at me as I stand in the doorway, suspicion and distaste in their eyes. There is an awkward moment as we simply watch at each other. Absentmindedly, I wish that I was wearing my hat so that it would hide my face if not my hair color. Sensing that I am not in the least bit welcome, I turn to leave.

"Wait! Please don't go!" I stop and whip around. My eyes and everyone else's rest upon a brown-haired, brown-eyed girl whose chest is large enough to make the most prude man feel horny. She is standing with one hand clutched over her heart, her eyes hesitant, but hopeful. "Won't you come and eat lunch with us?" she asks, turning back to her friends as if pleading for support.

"Yea, why don't you eat lunch with us?" a girl with short black hair and brown eyes says casually, now smiling at me. The other girl beams at her. "Just cause you're new doesn't mean you have to be an outcast." she continues, grinning.

All I can do is blink stupidly at them. This is a first. Normally I have a hard time making friends because my temper is short and because my hair is weird. But now (on my second day!) I'm being invited to have lunch…Maybe I should join them just for the novelty! Cautiously, my eyes rove over the group, lingering on Rukia. She's wearing that disgustingly cheery fake smile, but she's watching me keenly. With one last glance at Rukia, I turn back to the big-busted girl.

Well, here goes nothing. "Sure. I'll eat lunch with you guys."

"Great!" the big-busted girl says enthusiastically. She then proceeds to draw up a chair between herself and the black-haired girl and I sit to have my first lunch with my new…friends.

…_**Outside the Kurosaki Clinic…8:34 pm…**_

"Come on mom!" I growl, struggling to drag my mother down the sidewalk. As trashed as she is I'm surprised that she's able to stand at all. Giggling madly, my mom makes a dive for the curb. I grab her around the middle to keep her from making contact with the concrete. Hoisting her arm across my shoulders, we continue our way down the walkway towards home.

What a sad picture we must make. Me, a 14 year-old girl, half dragging, half carrying her grown, drunken mother home. I suppose it's better than her getting thrown out of a bar and sleeping in the gutter. That's just what the guy at the bar who called had threatened to do if I didn't "get my ass down there real quick and drag my mom's ass home". Apparently my mom and her friends had gotten smashed early and were just a bit too rowdy to retain their welcome.

My mom makes another lunge for the ground, but this time it isn't because she's falling. I reel back, disgusted, at the stench of alcohol and half-digested food as my mother heaves the contents of her stomach onto the sidewalk. Grimacing, I decide to take a quick look around to distract myself. It appears to be just your typical quiet little neighborhood, apparently empty despite the fact that it's still early. However, the area isn't familiar and I get the feeling that I might be lost again. I **really** need to start carrying a map.

There is one thing unique about this neighborhood, however. A large neon sign hangs from one of the larger houses farther down the street. Curious, I decide to investigate. When I reach the house though, I can't help but wish that I had chosen some other street to drag my mom down. 'Kurosaki Clinic' is printed on the blazing sign in big, bold letters. Kurosaki is Ichigo's last name and I can remember Orihime, the girl with the big chest who invited me to lunch, saying something about Ichigo's dad being a doctor. With all clues pointing towards the same answer, I can't help but conclude that…this is Ichigo's house!

Shoving my hands into my pockets, I stand in front of the house for a minute scowling and imaging all the things that Ichigo might say if he found me and my drunk mother on his doorstep. I may have apologized to him today, but I doubt he's forgiven me. Fighting off a sudden shiver of horror I turn with the intent of grabbing my mom and hauling ass out of there and away from Ichigo's house.

"T-Taylor!" my mom groans from farther down the street, her hand grabbing urgently at the air. "Take me home now please…" she continues, some of the drunken slur gone from her voice. Apparently emptying her stomach has sobered her up a little. Upon reaching her, I heave my mom's arm across my shoulders, glance back one more time at Ichigo's house, and make for the corner, my thoughts now concerned with how I'm going to find our way home.

I'm stopped in my tracks as we round the corner as my death sense twinges. I wince, the feeling coming again as a bolt of pain shooting through my brain. I twist around, trying to identify what the source of the sensation is. Quietly, I urge my mother to move a little faster, my pulse pounding in my ears as panic grows in my stomach. Ignoring my mother's protests I move as fast as possible without running towards the corner, my urgency increasing with every step as the feeling of a spirit intensifies. This is such a bad time! There's no way that we can get away if I have to carry my mom! Silenetly, I pray that whatever is coming is just a regular ghost.

"N-no!" I gasp aloud as a crushing pressure descends, forcing me to my knees. This feeling…I recognize it…No! No, no, **no**! Panting heavily I turn around, knowing what I will see behind me. It's still a shock though. A Hollow is appearing from a dark hole in the very fabric of space itself, ripping open the barrier between this world and the next. It's howl tears through the still air of the neighborhood and my body begins to shake uncontrollably. It's my worst nightmare all over again. Time slows to a crawl as the Hollow fully manifests, the hole closing behind it as it emerges.

This Hollow looks completely different from the one last night. Standing on two legs, it reminds me of a chimpanzee with huge hairy arms that are twice as long as its legs. Its mask has a strange pig-like quality to it. The faint humanity of the face is contorted by a short, upturned nose, a large under bite, and two massive tusks curving upward from its lower jaw. The nightmare is completed by the gaping hole in the Hollow's chest through which I can see the gleaming of streetlights at the far end of the road. Time has now stopped as we, the Hollow and I, stare at each other. There is total silence except for the pounding of my heart and the soft snuffling noises of the Hollow's breathing.

Time is suddenly thrown back into to motion as the Hollow roars and I scream, "Run!" in unison. I whip around and sprint as best I can, dragging my mother along beside me. She is barely alert and very unhappy about having to move quickly, but I do the best I can to keep her stumbling along. The Hollow also leaps forward with much more speed than its massive body should allow. Now time is moving fast, far too fast. I have never been so desperate to get away from anything in my life. I have to get my mother away. I **have **too!

But, I am not fast enough. In the blink of an eye the Hollow is upon us. The monster raises one of its massive, clawed hands and swipes downwards. Then there is a horrible pain in my side and the feeling of complete and utter despair as I realize that I have failed. I hear a high, panic-stricken scream and then my world goes black as my head collides with concrete.

…

DING DONG! DING DONG!! DIIIIIIIIIIIING DONG!!

"I'm coming, I'm coming!" Ichigo shouted as he stomped his way to the door. He was extra grumpy this evening because Yuzu made him do the dishes as "punishment" for being in a bad mood at dinner. As far as Ichigo was concerned it wasn't **his **fault that he was grouchy. After all it wasn't **his** fault that Taylor had to be a bitch the night before and then go and apologize to him at lunch. _Women!_ he thought vehemently.

The doorbell rang again as Ichigo reached the door. Throwing the dishtowel he had been using over his shoulder Ichigo wrenched the door open, intent on chewing out whoever had decided to piss him off. However, Ichigo's voice died in his throat in favor of a grunt of astonishment as he saw who was on his doorstep.

"Please…" she panted heavily, her voice weak and broken. "Please, help us…" Taylor stood on the doorstep covered in blood, a pleading and despondent expression on her face. She carried an unconscious dark-haired woman, the woman's arm slung across her shoulder. The woman was also injured, dark blood dripping from multiple wounds onto the Kurosaki's doormat.

Ichigo shouted for his dad before taking the woman's arm and helping both her and Taylor inside. "Wh-what happened?!" Ichigo stuttered, hardly daring to believe his eyes.

"There was a Hollow…." Taylor replied in barely contained sobs. "It attacked us…It hurt my mother…" Taylor looked up into Ichigo's face, her eyes over-bright and her cheeks wet with tears. Her expression could only be described as guilt-ridden and Ichigo suddenly felt chilled as he imagined what must have happened.

Ichigo was overcome by a feeling of deja vu. His head was reeling at the disturbing familiarity of the scene. It reminded him of the day his mother had died and he was nearly overwhelmed by unexpected empathy for Taylor's plight. Before Ichigo had the chance to say anything else Isshin, Yuzu, and Karin arrived and the entire Kurosaki family burst into action, grabbing bandages, IV's, and stitches.

Even as Isshin hurried to treat Taylor's mother and Yuzu and Karin hurried to bandage Taylor's wounds, Taylor's worried eyes never left her mother. And Ichigo's astonished gaze never left Taylor's haggard face.

**Author's Note:**

_I apologize that this chapter was not everything I promised that it would be. Originally My Reason was only going to be broken into 2 parts, but once I reached this point it just got to be too much so I decided to break it into 3 parts. A lot happened in this part though and the passage above seemed like a good place to stop. I will get the next chapter out shortly (probably by the end of the weekend at the latest) and part 2 will have all the background and stuff I promised._

_Ok…so…shout outs to Kisa44, a first time reviewer for this story, and to Hailey-Stone who has reviewed a second time. Yay for my 2 reviewers of the last chapter and to all the people who have reviewed thus far!_

_I hope everyone enjoyed part 1 and that everyone looks forward to part 2! Thanks for reading!!_

_**imagination junkie**_


	6. My Reason, part 2

**Disclaimer:** _I do not own Bleach or anyone or anything from Bleach. It's as simple as that. Everything else, however, is mine. :D _

**Chapter 6: My Reason, part 2**

…_**the Kurosaki Clinic…9:12 pm…**_

It's only been about half-an-hour, but it feels like…forever. I suppose I should be glad that we escaped the Hollow attack with our lives. I can't stop worrying about my mom though. It's my fault that she got involved in the first place…

Ichigo's dad is still hunched over my mom, his stethoscope out. She lies absolutely still in the Kurosaki's ward bed, unconscious and only half alive. She's lost a lot of blood and is a ghostly shade of white: my heart skips a beat at the thought. A rack of IV's hangs next to her bed, the tube that carries the clear liquid disappearing beneath the sheets. Then there are the bandages. It's like Ichigo's family had to put her back together using just tape and string or something.

Of course, I'm not in real great shape myself. The entire left side of my torso had to be bandaged, as well as my left arm and my left cheek. They also wrapped some ice up in a bandage and covered my head with it to help ease some of the swelling from several large bruises. All in all, I'd have to say my mom and I are in a pretty sorry state right now.

"Well, I have to say, you and your mom are lucky to be alive." Isshin sighs as he stands, placing his stethoscope around his neck. I turn my eyes down and stare at my hands, rather grieved at having my guilt reinforced. "We've done the best that we can here." He continues, looking back at my mom. "So, as a precaution, we've called an ambulance to take you and your mom to a larger hospital."

"Thank you Dr. Kurosaki…" I murmur without looking up. He pauses on his way out to rest a sympathetic hand on my shoulder. I still refuse to look at him. Seemingly unperturbed he exits, closing the door behind him.

I quickly scoot my chair closer to the bed. Reaching forward, I take my mother's hand, and then almost drop it in surprise. It is much cooler than I was expecting. "Oh, mom…" I murmur, fighting a losing battle against the guilt welling up in my chest and the tears pricking in the corners of my eyes. "I'm so sorry…"

Just before I completely breakdown the door creaks open and footsteps enter the room. I freeze and manage to choke my tears down before sneaking a peak at whoever has entered the room. A glimpse of bright, carrot-colored hair is all that is needed to confirm that the very last person I want to talk to right now has appeared. Ichigo. I obstinately turn away, determined to ignore him for as long as possible.

There is a soft click as he closes the door and then an awkward pause: apparently Ichigo needs time to gather his thoughts or something. Then he says quietly "Don't worry. Your mom's gonna be OK." I don't respond, staring fixedly at my mother's peaceful face. She looks like she could be sleeping, except that I know she isn't. This causes a fresh wave of sorrow to rise up in my throat, but I fight it back down. I will **not** let Ichigo see me cry!

Ichigo falls silent again and I wordlessly hope that he will get my obvious hint and leave. No such luck. After much uncomfortable foot shifting he speaks again, softer this time, but with more conviction. "Listen…I know how you must be feeling right now, but…"

I stiffen, shocked and affronted at his gall. "How could you possibly know how I must be feeling right now?!" I hiss, now too furious to look at him.

For a moment he doesn't reply. Then- "Because my mother was killed by a Hollow."

All I can hear for an instant is the soft rush of blood pounding in my ears. Ichigo's statement is so shocking that I just can't process it for a moment. I turn, as if in slow motion, to look at him. His face is expressionless and he meets my gaze steadily, but I can see shame, guilt, and a deep regret smoldering in the back of his eyes.

"I was 9 years old," he continues. "The Hollow tried to attack me, but it got my mother instead as she tried to protect me." Ichigo's face hasn't changed, but I can now see his clenched fists starting to tremble. "Recently I met that Hollow again in battle. I wasn't able to kill it, but…" Ichigo stops and he breaks eye contact. Ichigo obviously blames himself for his mother's death and he feels guilty and ashamed that he didn't avenge her death when he had the chance.

"Ichigo…" An infinite silence stretches between us. Before I am able to gain the courage to say anything more, the stillness is broken by the soft rustle of the curtains hanging from the open window and the muted thump of feet colliding with the wooden floor. Ichigo and I both turn to see Rukia standing in the middle of the room, as if she had just materialized on the spot.

…

Rukia looked around the room, absorbing the situation. Ichigo stood at the door, his face impassive. He refused to make eye contact with her. Taylor sat by the bed, her mother's hand in hers. Her expression was taken aback, but her eyes spoke volumes about her current circumstances. Rukia knew that this was not the best time, but her curiosity was overwhelming and she dreaded what could happen in she wasn't able to make sense of the enigma that Taylor was soon.

"Taylor…" Rukia began quietly, "I think you should explain more about yourself." The girl's expression instantly became guarded, her blue eyes, almost clear in the moonlight, narrowing to mere slits. Fighting a heavy sigh, Rukia continued. "Everyone here is in danger if we can't quickly figure what is going on and how you are involved."

Taylor shot a look at Ichigo, but he was now focused on Rukia. "What connection do you have in all of this, Rukia?"

Ichigo was impressed by Taylor's shrewdness despite her fatigue and obvious anxiety for her mother. He doubted whether he would have her presence of mind under similar circumstances. Ichigo watched Taylor's reaction now, as Rukia replied. "I will explain everything to you later, but for now you will just have to trust that I'm going to try and help you."

Taylor was quiet for another moment as she considered. Then, after giving her mother another pained and guilty look she turned back to Ichigo and Rukia and began her story.

…

I'm not entirely sure where I was born, but it doesn't really matter. Shortly afterwards my mother moved back to Okinawa so her parents could take care of me. Her father was an US Army soldier who had been stationed in Okinawa during the Vietnam War. He married a local woman and decided to stay in Japan. That's why my name is so different.

When I was 4 my mother left Okinawa and took me with her. It was never fully explained to me, but I think that my grandparents must have kicked my mother out because of her alcoholism. Since then we've moved every few months as my mom gets fired. Most of the time I feel like I'm the one taking care of her, but my mother and I have somehow managed to make it work.

When I was 9, I started to…sense ghosts I guess. There was a car crash…we were moving again and we had just left a small town bar. My mom was completely wasted and she was driving way too fast on a mountain road…she lost control…there was this bright light and the next thing I knew my mom and I were both laying on the side of the road unharmed. We were lucky. We found out later that our car had wrapped itself around a tree. If we hadn't escaped there was no way that we would have survived.

Ever since the crash, I've been able to sense ghosts. It was never very strong and it took me along time to figure out exactly what I was feeling. After we moved here though my…abilities…intensified. Yesterday morning I guess I even started seeing ghosts. Then last night I saw that Hollow and…you guys know the rest.

…

As soon I finished my story I turned away from Rukia and Ichigo and focused all my attention on my mom. I had never revealed so much to anyone in my life and I didn't want them to see how vulnerable I was feeling. I felt my heart break a little bit as I looked at my mom's pale face. Despite all her flaws she was still my mother and the most important person in my life.

There was the sound of footsteps as Ichigo left the door and crossed the room, but before anything else could happen the sound of an ambulance siren spilt the silence. A second later Isshin's shout echoed up the staircase. "The ambulance is here!"

I whipped around, alarmed, and was surprised to see that Rukia had disappeared, the gently swaying curtains the only sign that she had been in the room at all. Ichigo was all business now and he lept into action disconnecting wires to prepare my mother for her transportation to the hospital. A moment later Isshin, Karin, and Yuzu were bursting through the door and I was swept up into the sudden whirlwind of activity.

…

Ichigo watched silently as the EMTs loaded Taylor's mother into the ambulance. Isshin stood with the ambulance driver talking quietly, while Yuzu and Karin had disappeared back inside the house to clean up. Ichigo returned his attention to the back of the ambulance. Taylor was climbing in now, helped by an EMT. She settled onto one of the benches attached to the inside of the vehicle and took her mother's hand. There was a sudden flourish of activity as the ambulance prepared to leave. Extra equipment was loaded into the back and the driver jumped up into the cab. Taylor looked up, meeting Ichigo's eyes as the doors closed. He could just make out the words 'Thank you' on her lips as the doors snapped shut, the sirens came on, and the ambulance pulled away.

Isshin jogged back to his son, clapped him on the shoulder, and said something before going back inside. Ichigo didn't hear him. His mind was working methodically, coming to a conclusion. He turned, entered the house, and climbed the stairs, ignoring the puzzled glance Karin shot him. He purposefully closed the door of his room before turning to face Rukia.

"Are you ready?" he asked Rukia, his voice carefully emotionless.

Rukia, who had been looking at Kon, seated in her lap, met his eyes and nodded. Ichigo stepped forward and took the living, stuffed doll from her grip. For once Kon didn't struggle. Even he wasn't stupid enough to mess with Ichigo when he had that fire in his eyes.

…_**Karakura General Hospital…12:04 am…**_

Beep…beep…beep…

I glance again at my mom's EKG. It's steady, which is a small comfort. The doctors have come and gone, certain that her condition is stable and that she's on her way to recovery. Another relief. The emergency surgery for internal bleeding had gotten hairy at the end. Again the guilt rips through me. I still don't understand the whole Soul Reaper business, but never before have I wished so violently that something in my life hadn't happened. If only my mother hadn't gotten involved… I bow my head over the edge of my mother's bed and finally allow myself to cry.

…_**1:04 am…**_

A soft knock at the door rouses me.

"Excuse me Ms. Smithson. Now that you're mother is stable and on the mend will you please let us look at your injuries?"

I regard the nurse quietly. I can't help but feel uneasy about leaving my mom alone, but I won't be much help to her if I'm not healthy. I rise to join the nurse, but stop in the doorway and look back at my mother. I feel the uneasiness again…

"Ms. Smithson?" the nurse asks expectantly.

"Alright," I sigh and follow her out of the room. We're not even halfway down the hallway before the alarms go off. "What's going on?!" I shout as several nurses and a doctor run past us, the nurse I was following joining them. I get that sinking feeling in my stomach as they all pile into my mother's room. Time, or perhaps just my breath jolts to a sudden halt, as one nurse comes pelting out of the room yelling for security.

All my weariness is gone as I sprint down the hall and shoulder my way into the room. The now empty room. My mother is gone. The doctor and nurses are in a panic, all of them shouting at each other, trying to figure where she could have gone. I'm the only one who notices the open window. The open window that wasn't open before.

My death sense twinges as I lunge for the window and I'm horrified, knowing what I'll see. Outside, five stories below in the parking lot, the pig-faced Hollow stands, my mother thrown across one shoulder. It looks back at me, its yellow-lantern eyes glinting with amusement and malice, and laughs. It is a horrible high-pitched squeal that makes my skin crawl. And then it is gone, though I can feel it traveling away towards the river.

For a moment everything freezes. My mind, my breath, even my heart. It feels like my fingers will break the windowsill, they're clenched so hard. Something in my brain is wriggling, trying to free itself. That **damn **Hollow. That **damn** Ichigo. And me. **Damn** me! When will I learn to listen to my instincts?!

I'm gripped by rage. Not the kind where you throw a violent fit and loose all control. Oh no. This is an icy, hateful rage, pure and unadulterated. My mind has never been so clear. I reach into my pocket and pull out a small, blue pill. It looks like a miniature jawbreaker. I received it this morning when I went to the Urhara shop to thank Urhara for helping me last night.

"_What's this for?" I ask, confused, as he drops the tiny sphere into my open palm._

"_It's something that will free your soul from your physical body. Hold on to it. You never know when you might need a Soul Reaper's powers" he replied, his tone joking. I scowl, but he meets my gaze steadily and seriously, despite his jovial manner._

I look at the little pill for a moment longer, vaguely aware that I'm making a choice that I can't go back on. Then I realize that there really isn't a choice. That I never really had a choice once I drew the sword from its scabbard. I pop the pill in my mouth and leap for the window as my soul tears itself from my body. There's instant of fear as I realize that I've just jumped from a 5th story window but I land safely and begin my chase. The last thing I hear besides the rush of wind in my ears is the alarmed shouts of the doctor and nurses as my unconscious body collapses to the hospital floor.

**Author's Note:**

_So…this is my first chapter in a really long time. Sorry about that. Life (and college) kind of got in the way. However, I would like to continue this story though I can't promise any kind of regularity in posts._

_Anyways, I would like to thank all the people who reviewed, etc. during my long absence. It's nice to know that people are still finding my story and appreciating it :)__ And her name is Taylor because originally she was supposed to be American. Or something like that. I don't remember exactly. And no, her father wasn't a Soul Reaper. :)_

_In this chapter is the background that I promised. Its maybe not as beefy as originally planned but I think it gets the point across. Also the end might seem a but different than the beginning but that's because it was written long after the first half and I haven't quite gotten back into the writing style of this story. The random italicized section is supposed to be a memory. I'm not sure if I've done it that way before, but you'll probably see it again. _

_Thanks for reading! :)_

_**imagination junkie**_


	7. My Reason, part 3

**Disclaimer:** _I do not own Bleach or anyone or anything from Bleach. It's as simple as that. Everything else, however, is mine. :D _

**Chapter 7: My Reason, part 3**

I have been chasing the Hollow for some time now down the dark and silent streets of Karakura. My cold rage has sharpened my senses and I can track the Hollow as though I was following his position on map. However, the clarity of my mind has begun to fade as panicked, worried thoughts about my mother surface in my consciousness. What if her incisions open up? What if her internal bleeding starts again? What if I can't save her?

Too many what ifs. I try my best to force these thoughts, and the guilt that goes with them, into the back of my mind. Instead I concentrate on forcing my legs to run faster. The small corner of my mind that has remained aloof from the rest of my mind's turmoil can't help but marvel at the athleticism of my spiritual self, no longer restricted by the confines of a flesh body. I can't help but feel powerful as the wind whips past me and the ground falls away beneath my feet.

I refocus as I realize my quarry has stopped. I am on the edge of the river now. It's dark, what little light there is reflecting off the water. I can just make out a bridge looming ahead in the darkness.

I advance forward more cautiously now. I can feel that the Hollow has stopped somewhere ahead of me, but I'm afraid he'll take off again if I charge. Apparently this isn't his plan, however. I can just make out his dark form in the shadow of the bridge as I pace forward.

"I'm glad to see that you could track me so well. It seems your soul is powerful and will be all the more delicious!" the Hollow calls to me. His voice, which sounds very much like a pig grunting, sends shivers up my spine.

"Where is my mother?" I shout back trying to see deeper into the shadows under the bridge. My fear for her threatens to strangle me.

The Hollow laughs again, the horrible squealing of it making me wince. "She is safe. For now. But if I don't get any cooperation from you I'll eat her first and then devour you!" He laughs again, his eyes gleaming with malicious amusement as he slowly advances out of the shadows and into the open.

I feel my rage boil over and I allow it to carry me into action. "You bastard!" I yell, drawing my sword. "I would warn you about touching my mother again, but I'm going to kill you anyways so I guess it doesn't matter!"

"Oh? I guess you're going to be difficult then."

"You've got that right."

"Fine with me," the Hollow said with undisguised pleasure. "I always enjoy playing with my food."

I brace myself as he charges, roaring. I jump as he pounces and bring my sword down, intent on cutting his head in two as I did to the Hollow last night. To my surprise he dodges and leaps away.

"Not bad little Soul Reaper, but it's not good enough," he says laughing. Then he brings one arm up, folding his hand into a fist. Suddenly, and to my great surprise, his fist flies forward as his arm extends.

I barely dodge his fist in time, and I can feel my hair move from the force of its passage. I watch out the corner of my as it extends far farther than I would have thought possible, its shape twisting and lengthening in a sickening way. I gasp as his other fist suddenly closes around me and I realize my mistake.

"I've got you now little Soul Reaper!" he laughs. Angry, I lift my sword, and remembering that its blade is reversed, draw the sharp side towards me along the underside of his arm as hard as I can, leaving a deep gash. The Hollow screeches and drops me, but before I can stand again he brings his other fist back and hits me, sending me flying into the river.

I sink quickly to the bottom, sudden panic at my dilemma freeing my limbs from the shock of the Hollow's attack. Automatically my arms and legs begin to move, pushing me towards the surface. I resurface and fight my way to the bank, trying desperately not to lose my sword as I swim. But, the current isn't very strong and I clamber out of the water, coughing and spluttering, just underneath the bridge. I stand, a bit unsteadily, and sweep my wet hair out of my eyes.

"That wasn't very nice little Soul Reaper," the Hollow calls as I struggle to catch my breath. "Now I'm going to stop being nice…" he growls.

I find it difficult to collect myself. I can swim, but being thrown into a river without warning is frightening to say the least. My confidence has also taken a hit. The Hollow is a lot stronger than I expected and I can't help but worry that I won't be able to beat him. No. I can't think like that. I have to defeat him because I have to save my mother!

But still my doubts and my guilt nag me.

The Hollow has begun to advance again, but much more slowly, laughing all the while. I bring my sword up into a guard position and brace myself for his next attack until I realize what he is holding.

"**Mom!"**

"That's right little Soul Reaper." He stops now, not ten feet from me. He is holding my mother in one fist and she looks so weak…fear, guilt, and rage battle for dominance inside me. I'm frozen to the spot. All I can do now is wait. One wrong move means my mother is dead.

"Now listen closely little Soul Reaper," the Hollow says his voice filled with wicked joy. "I'm about to make you a very generous proposition. If you drop your sword now and let me eat you without a fight I'll leave your mother alone. However, if you decide to continue this battle I will devour your mother right now and then devour you." The Hollow throws back his head and laughs, confident of his victory.

The storm of emotion in my mind intensifies, clouding it, and making it nearly impossible for me to think straight. What comes to the surface of my mind through a pounding headache and paralyzing indecision is hate. Hatred of the Hollow and his games. Hatred of my helplessness as he holds my mother hostage. Hatred of myself for putting my mother in danger like this. I do not respond, only glaring at the Hollow with my fists clenched around my sword so tightly that my fingers start to ache.

"I really don't see why you're being so unreasonable. After all it's **your** fault that you and your mother are in this position. It's **your **soul that I'm really after. I have no interest in your mother. In fact if **you** had abandoned her on the sidewalk the first time I attacked she would never of gotten hurt." The Hollow laughs.

My body and my mind both freeze as the truth of these words slowly sinks in. My guilt, which has been building since I first saw the Hollow materialize in this world, becomes crushing as a single thought comes to my mind. This **is **my fault. I feel dizzy. Slowly my arms drop until they are hanging at my side. I drop my sword, in a daze, and then fall to my knees as guilt and shame overwhelm me.

Hopeless and defeated I look up at the death that looms above me. I know that my sacrifice will not be enough. I'm not foolish enough to believe that the Hollow will keep his word and will leave my mother alone after he kills me. And yet I can't find the will to fight anymore. I feel as utterly defeated as if the Hollow had pounded me to a pulp. Guilt burns in my stomach, as tears begin silent their descent down my cheek.

Geez. I'm such a fool. And such a coward. In this moment, I hate my weakness and myself more than anything.

"Mom…I'm sorry…I'm so sorry…"

The Hollow chuckles with pleasure and then casually tosses my mother to the side. I don't see her land as the Hollow lunges, with a triumphant roar. I don't even bother to brace myself as I wait for the end to come.

…

"How close are we?' Ichigo asked, somewhat breathlessly. They had been running for some time now, pursuing the Hollow that had recently rematerialized.

"We're very close," Rukia replied, looking at her soul pager. She paused before she continued. "Taylor's there too."

"I know. That's why we have to hurry." Ichigo couldn't shake the uneasy feeling that he'd had since the Hollow had reappeared. He was sure that Taylor was in way over her head and that if they didn't get there in time, things were about to get very, very bad. Ichigo's feelings toward Taylor had softened some, as he understood how she had felt when she had appeared on his doorstep. He still resented her, however, and in some ways he resented himself even more. In any case he wasn't going to fail to protect her again. He had made a promise to her last night and Ichigo never broke his promises. Even when they were to people that he didn't like very much.

Ichigo suddenly slowed to a stop, realizing where they were. The river. It was so eerily familiar that Ichigo felt dizzy for a moment. Ichigo's memories of his mother's death came rushing back. His hands closed into to fists as his rage built. _No! Not again! __**Never again! **_He began to run again, in earnest and caught up to Rukia quickly.

"There! Ichigo!" Rukia shouted, bringing Ichigo out of his thoughts. Up ahead, underneath a bridge, he could see the Hollow standing above Taylor. The Hollow was holding something, which Ichigo realized with a flash of horror was Taylor's mother. As he and Rukia drew closer Taylor dropped her sword and fell to her knees.

"That **idiot**! What the hell is she doing?" Ichigo exclaimed as the Hollow threw Taylor's mother aside and lunged. They were close enough now to hear what was probably intended to be Taylor's last words.

"Mom…I'm sorry…I'm so sorry…"

"Go Ichigo! I'll take care of Taylor's mother!" Rukia dashed forward and caught Taylor's mother as she fell and began to heal her wounds.

Ichigo hadn't heard her however, as he was already leaping forward to save Taylor (again) with a fierce yell.

…

For a moment I am too dazed to realize what is happening. I blink once. Twice. And then I really see Ichigo there before me, holding the Hollow off with his enormous sword. I have the strongest feeling of déjà vu as I recognize that Ichigo has saved me in just the way that he saved me last night.

"Why the hell are you just sitting there?" he yells back at me. "Get out of the way!"

Too surprised to do anything I just sit there staring at his back.

Ichigo pushes the Hollow away and then turns on me. "Damn it!" He is angry. Certainly angrier than I've ever seen him. That crazed shadow in the back of his eyes that I noticed this morning has returned. He grabs my by the front of my tunic and pulls me to my feet, "If you're going to be useless just leave!"

Slowly my eyes slide away from Ichigo's face to the Hollow behind him. It has recovered from Ichigo's counterattack and now goes on the offensive, stretching both its fists at us the way it did earlier.

I can't keep doing this. Just sitting here. In slow motion, it seems, my eyes slide back to Ichigo who has noticed that my attention was directed behind him. Swearing, he turns, also in slow motion, to block the Hollow's attack.

My mind works in slow motion as I watch the Holow's fists get closer and closer. Am I really going to keep doing this? Letting Ichigo rescue me? Ignoring this power because I'm afaraid of it? Letting my mom get hurt because my weaknesses?

My resolve solidifies in an instant. Time has resumed its normal speed as I reach down and grab my sword. I leap forward to help take the force of the Hollow's attack. The Hollow's fists collide with my sword and Ichigo's, pushing us back several feet. Ichigo slashes downwards, cutting the Hollow's fist and forcing it out of the way. I shift sideways, cutting the Hollow's arm as I move around it. Ichigo and I both jump forward, racing to cut the Hollow's head in half.

Ichigo is in front of me, and just feet from the creature's body when the Hollow opens its mouth and roars, it's lower jaw extending to an extreme angle. Suddenly the Hollow's tusks shoot forward, the way it's arms did. Ichigo curses as he brings his sword up to block, his forward momentum stalled in the process. I leap over Ichigo, who has the Hollow's full attention, and raise my sword for the kill.

"This is for my mother!" I scream, as I bring my sword down, slicing the Hollow's head in two. The Hollow lets out one last pitiful squeal as it disintegrates. Quiet returns, and the only sound that can be heard is the rushing of the river by the now still riverbank. I turn to look back at Ichigo but he is looking away, to where my mother and Rukia are.

…

"Is…is she gonna be ok?" I look anxiously at Rukia as I wait for her answer. The light of her healing spell still hovers above my mother's chest.

Without looking up Rukia replies, "She should be fine once I'm finished."

"Oh mom…" I fight back tears as I look at my mother's face. She still looks deathly pale. "This is all my fault…" I murmur, indulging in my guilt. The self-hatred I felt before claws its way back up my throat.

"You're right. This is your fault." Rukia and I both look up, shocked at Ichigo's statement. He stands above us his arms crossed. He shoots me an irritated look before continuing. "The fact is that this happened because of the power you posses. And things like this will keep happening until you do something about it. But, that doesn't mean it's your fault. And it sure isn't a reason to give up and throw your life away."

Ichigo turns away now to look down the riverbank. He seems lost in thought for a moment before he continues. "I'm not saying that you have to be a Soul Reaper. I sure didn't when I became one. But then I realized that I've got the power to protect people. Not just the people close to me, but countless others. It's a Soul Reaper's job to protect the souls of the living and the dead, but that's not why I fight."

I can only stare at his back as I try to process what he's saying. He half-turns and meets my eyes and I find that I can't look away, so strong is his conviction.

"I fight because I've got this power and I'll be damned if I don't use it. That way I'll protect as many people as I can. If there's an enemy I can't defeat I'll get strong enough to defeat it. I won't give up either. I can't. I don't ever want to see someone lose a loved one again." He turns away again and begins to walk off. "Let's go Rukia."

"Right." She stands and dusts herself off. "Your mom should be fine now, but I called for an ambulance to take her back to the hospital just in case. It should be here in a few minutes."

I watch silently as they disappear into the darkness. "Thank you!" I shout at their retreating backs, but I don't get a response. I look down at my mom again.

He fights to protect as many people as he can…

A breeze picks up, but for once I don't really notice the color of my hair as it blows into my face. I can hear the scream of sirens in the distance.

_**...The next day, Karakura 1**__**st**__** High School… **_

Ichigo couldn't help but find school boring after the events of the past couple of nights. Rukia was pretty much exhausted after using so much of her energy to heal Taylor's mother. She even fell asleep during fourth period. Taylor never showed.

Ichigo honestly wasn't sure how to feel about Taylor now. She had made him nearly as angry as he'd ever been last night. She was such a fool for giving up like she had. Like letting the Hollow eat her would solve anything. Her self-loathing at her weakness was what disgusted him the most, however. Ichigo couldn't understand why she didn't fight that weakness and make herself stronger, so she could protect her mother. At the same time though, Ichigo knew exactly how she must have felt. He knew that if he could have, he would have given up his life to save his mother that day on the riverbank six years ago.

Ichigo's mixed feelings irritated him just a much as Taylor's behavior did. Why couldn't he make up his mind about her? He disliked her and at the same time he understood her enough to feel compassion for her troubles? It was enough to make his head spin.

Ichigo's contemplations had put him in a fouler mood than usual all day, and after (forcefully) declining Keigo's invitation to hang out after school, he headed home alone. However, he was stopped just outside the gate by a soft, "Hey Ichigo". Looking around he saw Taylor leaning against the schoolyard wall. The only evidence of last night's fight was a small bandage on her temple.

"I guess Rukia go to you too huh?"

"Yea"

"How's your mother?"

"She's made a _miraculous_ recovery. The doctor said they can release her at the end of the week." Taylor was smirking, her eyes dancing with amusement. But, she made no move to leave.

Ichigo scowled at her. She had no reason to be so familiar with him. "What do you want?"

Taylor pushed herself away from the wall and steadily met his eye, her expression carefully bland. "I never got around to thanking you properly. So, thank you so much for saving my mother and for saving me… Twice." She emphasized her thanks by bowing deeply to him from the waist.

"It's no big deal," Ichigo hurriedly replied, embarrassed. _What is she on about? I guess that blow to her head must have been worse than I thought… _Taylor straightened, and there was an awkward pause as they regarded each other.

"I also wanted to tell you that you were right." Taylor began. Ichigo, completely lost, just blinked at her. "I was being selfish and only caring about myself. I was afraid, to be honest…" she continued, now looking away. Ichigo was utterly surprised that she was admitting this to him and totally unsure of what to say.

"But I do have this power whether I like it or not. It's about time I stopped being so damn afraid of it. I'm tired of feeling like a coward." She turned back towards him, her face full of new determination. "So I think I'll work hard and get stronger, and use this power to help protect people. No one deserves to feel the way I did last night. So, I'll help you with this Soul Reaper thing." Taylor then extended her hand to him, a small smile on her lips.

Through his surprise Ichigo could feel his aversion towards her slipping. She had, it seemed, finally decided to take control of her life. That was something Ichigo definitely could approve of. _Maybe she's not so bad after all… If she can decide to make a change like this I guess I can decide to give her a second chance._ He extended his hand slowly at first, but then took hers firmly, shaking it once.

"You've got yourself a deal," he replied returning her small smile with one of his own.

"Good" With that Taylor turned away. "I've got some other things to take care of. See you at school tomorrow."

"Yea," Ichigo called after her. She responded with a wave over her shoulder. Ichigo watched her go and was reassured to notice that she walked with confidence and held her head proudly. Taylor then turned a corner and disappeared. Ichigo stood there for a moment, still considering their exchange. He felt himself warming towards Taylor as he absorbed her words and the implications of them.

_That…was the first time she's smiled at me…_ Ichigo's heart beat just slightly faster at the thought.

…_**The Urahara Shop…**_

I arrived at the Urahara shop to find the two kids Jinta and Urururu cleaning the yard again.

"Oh great!" Jinta exclaimed as I came through the gate. "It's **you** again."

"It's nice to see you too, brat-face," I retort, patting the boy's head condescendingly as I walk by. "Is Mr. Urahara in?"

"He's inside," the girl answers me quietly while keeping the struggling Jinta in a headlock.

"Thanks…" I head to the door of the shop feeling a bit unnerved at the sight. I slide the door open to see Urahara sitting on the low porch inside the shop. He's holding a calculator and surrounded by piles of papers.

"Miss Smithson! Come in, come in!" he cries jovially.

"I'm not interrupting anything am I?" I ask, sliding the door shut behind me.

"No, no, I'm just doing some inventory. What can I help you with today?" He is considering me seriously now, but I catch a touch of amusement in his eyes.

"I want you to train me to use my Soul Reaper powers," I reply far more boldly than I feel. I'm still afraid, but I'm tired of letting my fear rule me. Enough is enough.

"Are you sure you want to learn to use them?" he asks me gravely.

I reply with a stiff nod as it seems my mouth has forgotten how to form speech. I'm not sure why I'm so nervous, but I have no doubts about Urahara's capability to help me.

"Alright then." He stands abruptly. "Let's get started then." His manner is all business, but he smiles proudly as he meets my eye.

And for the first time- in a long time- I feel hopeful.

**Author's Note:**

_So…this is my first chapter in a really long time. Again. Sorry about that. I did put it up closer to the last chapter than I did with Chapter 6 though! In any case I still plan on continuing this story. I even have an idea for a sequel if I manage to get that far. However, because of school, work, etc, I have no idea when the next post will be. Again I apologize. _

_Anyways, I would like to thank all the people who reviewed, etc. during my long absence. It's nice to know that people are still finding my story and appreciating it _

_The next chapter will be completely from my own imagination and after that I will start weaving this story into the actual Bleach plotline. I've already got a basic outline for most of the rest of this story, so it shouldn't take too long to get it out, as long as I keep writing. I'll try to get this next chapter out ASAP!_

_Thanks for reading! _

_**imagination junkie**_


	8. Breaking the Ice

**Disclaimer:** _I do not own Bleach or anyone or anything from Bleach. It's as simple as that. Everything else, however, is mine. :D _

**Chapter 8: Breaking the Ice**

…**Karakura 1****st**** High School…First Period…7:34 am…**

All I can think about is how tired I am. I know I should pay attention to the teacher (what's she's talking about will be on the final) but I just can't make myself focus. I'm not the only one either. It's first period on a Monday morning and the entire class is just droopy.

Orihime is trying to pay attention and take notes, but I see her nod off every few minutes only to jump as she abruptly reawakens. Tatsuki, among others, isn't even pretending to be awake and is practically snoring with her head on her desk. Ichigo is leaning back in his chair with his arms crossed, staring at some point on the ceiling. I fight the urge to see what he's looking at. Rukia looks the most awake of all of us, but that because she's messing with her soul pager- the cell phone like device that receives her orders from the Soul Society- under her desk.

Man, high school sucks. I can't wait until summer when I can sleep in everyday. And it's only a few weeks away too!

My thoughts are interrupted as I sense a Hollow starting to materialize. I sit up straight and look frantically around, my location momentarily forgotten as I try to figure out where it will appear. Suddenly, Rukia's Soul Pager starts beeping. The class is suddenly awake as everyone turns to stare at her.

"Rukia!" the teacher exclaims, obviously annoyed. "You know there are no cell phones allowed in class!"

"I know! I'm sorry, but I have to take this call." She stands abruptly and, after a meaningful look at Ichigo, dashes out of the room.

Ichigo stands hastily. "I uh…have to go the bathroom!" He races for the door ignoring the teacher's protests.

I stand too, wanting to help as much as I can with killing the Hollow I sensed. "I don't feel well! I'm going to the nurse!" I shout, as I run for the classroom door.

"Now wait a second Taylor!" The teacher tries to block my way, but I push past, and ignoring her shouts and the curious stares of my classmates, race after Ichigo and Rukia.

I catch them outside, where Ichigo has just transformed into a Soul Reaper and Rukia is getting more specific instructions from the Soul Society.

Ichigo turns towards me "You made it out too? Good." He flashes me a brief smile, before turning back to Rukia. I feel warmed by his show of camaraderie, and much to my chagrin my cheeks heat up. Ichigo looks so different when he smiles…

"It's alright Taylor. You don't need to come." Rukia tells me seriously.

"What?"

"Huh?"

Ichigo and I both exclaim at the same time, turning confused looks on each other before we both look at Rukia. She looks at me and meets my eye, but I don't feel reassured at all.

"It's a weak Hollow. Ichigo and I can handle it. You should probably just stay here."

I stare blankly at her, feeling my irritation grow.

"Come on Ichigo. We should hurry." She turns away without another word and runs off.

I shoot a questioning look at Ichigo who simply shrugs at me. "Sorry. Maybe next time," he says and then runs after Rukia.

I stand in the schoolyard for a moment feeling my exasperation to build into resentment. "Damn it!" I exclaim, kicking over a nearby trashcan as I lose the battle to control my temper.

It's been over a week since I decided I would help Ichigo and Rukia fight Hollows. And everyday since then I've trained with Urahara in his secret, underground room. And in my opinion, which I will admit is very biased, I've gotten a lot stronger. But every time I've tried to help fight Hollows Rukia has told me that she and Ichigo don't need my help. It's infuriating!

I just don't understand. Why doesn't Rukia trust me? Ichigo doesn't seem to have a problem with me wanting to help. And I've obviously got skill. I sense the damn Hollows before Rukia gets her orders from the Soul Society. It just makes me so mad!

Frustrated, I kick the trashcan again and manage to stub my toe in the process. Cursing, and still fuming, I head back inside the school building and limp my way back to class.

…

Ichigo watched Rukia as they rested. She was intent on her soul pager checking, Ichigo assumed, that there weren't any more Hollows around.

She had been right. That Hollow wasn't very strong and Ichigo had had no trouble defeating it. But, he still didn't understand why Rukia didn't want Taylor to help. He didn't have any problems with it.

"Why didn't you want Taylor to help?" Ichigo asked. He wasn't one for beating around the bush.

"We didn't need her help," Rukia replied, without looking up.

Ichigo frowned, suspicious. "You don't trust her do you." It wasn't a question, because Ichigo was already certain of the answer.

Rukia looked up, taken aback, and then returned his frown. "Why do you say that?"

Ichigo replied without thinking, "Cause you've been a bitch to her for the past week."

WHACK!

Rukia didn't take too kindly to being insulted. "I don't have a clue what you mean Ichigo." Rukia replied loftily. Ichigp scowled at her as he rubbed the lump on his skull. "However, you are right…" Ichigo was rather surprised. Rukia didn't usually admit things to him so readily.

"I'm not sure I can put my finger on it exactly. I'm still uneasy because we don't know where her powers come from. But it's more than that…" Rukia looked contemplatively at the sky. "I just don't think that she's really dedicated to being a Soul Reaper."

Ichigo stood abruptly. "You're being ridiculous Rukia. But, it doesn't matter right now. Let's hurry up and get back to class." As Ichigo strode off, Rukia could clearly see how irritated he was. _Why does he trust her so easily?_ She was baffled by Ichigo's sudden change in attitude toward her.

Rukia was cautious by nature, but there was something about Taylor that unnerved her. And Rukia was concerned about Taylor's true motivation for wanting to help them fight Hollows. She'd been so adamantly against it before. Rukia shook her head, trying to clear it. _I can worry about this later,_ she told herself firmly. Rukia followed Ichigo back to school, trying to ignore the disturbed thoughts that spun through her mind.

…**Later that afternoon…**

"What's the matter with you?" Urhara asks, as I slam the door of his shop shut.

"Nothing," I snarl at him, kicking my shoes off. "Let's just get started already."

I try to stalk by Urahara and back to the trap door that leads to his underground training room, but he grabs my arm as I pass him.

"Tell me what's wrong." His voice is stern and I can tell by the look in his eye that arguing isn't going to get me anywhere. Damn he can read me like an open book! But, I guess I'm not that good at hiding my feelings anyway…

With a heavy sigh I plop myself down next to him. He turns towards me and waits with a look of condescending patience. Resisting the urge to punch him I mutter, "It's Ichigo and Rukia."

"What about them?"

I find the volume of my voice rising as I relive my frustration. "They won't let me fight Hollows! Every time I try to help Rukia tells me that they don't need my help and Ichigo doesn't do anything!" I take another breath to continue, but Urahara interrupts me.

"Listen to you, whining like a spoiled child." He says it softly, but there's an edge to his voice that I haven't heard before. Whatever else I was going to say dies in my throat, my mouth snapping shut. I'm utterly surprised and instantly chastised as I realize the truth in his words.

Urahara rises with a sigh of his own. He looks down at me, considering, and for the first time I'm afraid of what he's going to say.

"Well if they won't let you help, you'll just have to convince them that they need your help." He smiles slightly at me before turning away. "Come on. Let's begin."

"A-Alright." I follow him into the back, still reeling slightly from our brief exchange. I definitely don't want to get on Urahara's bad side. And not for the first time, I wonder about who he really is. Or was.

…**The next morning…the Kurosaki Clinic…**

"A…a…a…ACHOO!"

"Wow Ichigo. You don't look so good," Rukia said as she jumped down from her closet, ready for school. Ichigo was still in bed, his expression the picture of misery.

"I don't feel so good either." Ichigo sniffed mightily before continuing. "Yuzu's had a bad cold for the past few days. I think I've caught it."

"Oh." Rukia stood in the middle of room looking expectantly at Ichigo. He stared back at her, sniffing occasionally.

"What?"

"Aren't you going to get ready for school? You usually leave about now."

"No," Ichigo replied irritably. "I'm sick. I'm not going to school today."

"But, what if a Hollow shows up?" Rukia protested, alarmed.

"You'll just have to get Taylor to help you."

"But-!"

"You'll just have to get over it and trust her!" Ichigo had run out of patience. He promptly lay back down, facing away from Rukia, and pulled the blanket over his head.

Rukia sighed. She knew when she had been backed into a corner. She couldn't quite put a finger on why she didn't trust Taylor, but today she'd have to grit her teeth and do as Ichigo had suggested. Get over it.

"Ichigo…Hey…Ichigo!" Ichigo resolutely ignored her. "Alright then…" And without another moment's hesitation she stepped up on Ichigo's bed, stepped on him, and out the window.

"OW! What the hell was that for?" Ichigo shouted glaring at her.

Rukia shrugged. "You were in my way. I don't want to be late for school. See you later."

Ichigo scowled after her as she dropped out of sight. But, he laid down again a little more thoughtfully. _I hope she and Taylor can work something out._ Ichigo didn't like the feeling that he was going to have to choose between them. He paused for a moment, wondering where that thought had come from. _What's the matter with me?_ Ichigo thought he knew the answer, but he didn't want to think about it. It weirded him out too much. Stubbornly fighting the urge to think anymore about Rukia or Taylor he concentrated on sleeping.

…**Karakura 1****st**** Highschool…lunchtime…**

Today's lunch is pretty normal as we sit around a cluster of desks in the classroom. Orihime is rambling on about something completely random and somehow managing to bring the subject back to Ichigo. Tatsuki is valiantly fighting to keep Chizuru from molesting Orihime, while the rest of us try to stay out of the way. There is one problem though…

The celery stick in my hand threatens to snap as Rukia looks up at me again. This is the umpteenth time during lunch, and while her face is as cryptic as usual I know what she's on about. Ichigo is out sick from school today and Rukia is worried about having to rely on me.

It doesn't help that I'm extra grumpy today because of the dream I had last night. My dreams where I'm a Soul Reaper, in strange places doing strange things, have been getting stronger since I started training with Urahara. But, they haven't made any more sense than they did before until last night. In my dream last night I was seated in a huge classroom surrounded by other people, all of us dressed in uniforms that were a variation of the Soul Reaper shihakusho. It seemed that I was taking some kind of exam and I remember thinking that it was really hard. I got the feeling of being watched and, looking to my right, I saw a blonde man that looked very much like a young Urahara copying off my paper.

I jump slightly at the memory. My dream stopped there because I was so surprised that I woke up, horrendously early as usual. I'm still shaken though and the question of where my power comes from is again on my mind. I've been meaning to ask Urahara about it for a while now, but I always manage to forget. Not today though. After my dream last night I **have** to get some answers from him.

Coming out of my reverie I notice that Rukia is watching me again, however she looks away before I can make eye contact with her. Fighting the urge to start something, I turn my attention to the sky outside the window. My frustration is persistent, however. Why doesn't Rukia trust me? Why won't she trust me? Whatever. I'll prove to her that I'm just as good as Ichigo at killing Hollows.

I realize that I'm about to get my chance as I feel a Hollow beginning to materialize some distance away. Quickly I turn to look at Rukia, but she's engaged in conversation with Michiru. Suddenly, her soul pager starts beeping. She pulls it out hurriedly, makes a face, which she quickly controls, and looks up at me. We make an uneasy, unspoken concession and we both stand to leave.

"Hey!" Orihime turns after us we head towards the door. "Where are you guys going?" she asks, concerned.

Rukia holds up her still beeping soul pager as an explanation. I shift uncomfortably from foot to foot before replying. "Uh…bathroom."

" Um, OK!" Orihime calls after us, clearly confused, as we head down the hallway.

"Let's hurry," Rukia says tonelessly as she breaks into a run.

I don't reply as I run after her. For some reason this particular Hollow has me worried.

…

"**Damn it!**" Taylor shouted, banging her fist against the wall of the alley.

Rukia was silent, but her sentiments were very much the same. Before them, at the end of a narrow alley in the heart of downtown Karakura, lay a pool of blood and a mangled human body. It was the second such scene that they had found in the past hour. The Hollow they were hunting appeared quickly, killed, and then disappeared again before Rukia and Taylor could get to it.

"Damn it…" Taylor's voice was quieter this time, but her grief and frustration were far more acute. "What're we gonna do?" she murmured more to the air than to Rukia.

Rukia still didn't say anything. She was worried and frustrated too, and was dealing with the added stress of working with someone she didn't fully trust. Somehow though Taylor's obvious distress eased Rukia's mind and her concerns about the human girl were fading a bit.

"This Hollow is obviously strong and experienced. We're going to have to get more creative if we're going to catch it before it kills again," Rukia said musingly, already deep in deliberation. Then she murmured, just in afterthought, "I wish Ichigo was here."

Taylor snapped.

"Yea, I bet you do wish Ichigo was here! Perfect Ichigo who can do everything that I can't!"

Rukia was shocked. "I-I didn't mean it like that!" she began, but Taylor cut her off.

"Like hell you didn't! I know you don't trust me, that you don't think I'm good enough to fight Hollows!" Taylor screamed.

Rukia, incensed now too, began to yell back, "Well, why should I trust you! Before you didn't want any part of this! I don't know anything about you, I don't know where the hell you got your powers from, and I don't know why you've suddenly decided you want to be a Soul Reaper! At least with Ichigo I know he'll get the job done and get it done right!"

Rukia stopped now to catch her breath. Taylor, not backing down in the least, opened her mouth to reply and Rukia prepared for the onslaught. What came instead was a low chuckle. Rukia blinked in surprise as Taylor met her eye, her lips curled into a cunning smile.

"Rukia…I think I've got an idea…"

…

_Reckless…and stupid…This is so reckless and stupid…_

Rukia had been wordlessly berating herself for the better part of fifteen minutes now. She stood just inside the tree line that surrounded a small clearing deep in the middle of a park. Taylor, back in her body, sat cross-legged in the afternoon sunlight in the middle of the clearing.

_This is so stupid…_ But Rukia had to admit it was a good plan.

_What's the big deal, Rukia?_ Taylor had asked when Rukia had initially protested._ I'm just thinking like Ichigo and you trust him to get the job done, right?_

Rukia and Taylor had returned to the school to retrieve Taylor's body and then they had come here. Fortunately the Hollow had not attacked anyone else during that time. Taylor's plan was to lure the Hollow out, who only appeared to be attacking live humans, by using herself as bait. As Rukia kept reminding herself it was a foolish and reckless plan, but she couldn't come up with anything better. _There are just so many things that could go wrong._ She bit her lip as she worried.

A breeze came up and rustled through the trees above Rukia, bringing her out of her thoughts. That was when she realized that Taylor had begun releasing her spiritual pressure in order to lure the Hollow out. Rukia was impressed at the amount of control she had. She was increasing the intensity of her spiritual pressure, but keeping it confined to the area directly above her. That concentration of spiritual energy, amazing considering Taylor only had about a week of training, would allow the Hollow to pinpoint her exact location.

Rukia watched, but nothing happened. Still Taylor kept it up, her spiritual pressure intensifying even more, until Rukia could tell that it was starting to put a strain on her. Another breeze came up, rustling through the trees and making the dappled sunlight dance, and then everything happened in a flash.

With a roar the Hollow appeared, half of its body breaking through space itself to pounce on where Taylor had been sitting. She had already leapt away however, and swallowing the gikongan that she always carried with her, exploded from her human skin ready to fight. Rukia was startled watching this, realizing that Taylor must have sensed the Hollow before it started materializing.

The Hollow, realizing that it had found a better meal than a regular human, pulled itself out of the crack and fully into the clearing. Taylor drew her zanpakuto. "Come on, ugly!" she yelled tauntingly.

With a howl, the Hollow threw itself forward. Taylor leapt out of the way again, and just as quickly leapt after the Hollow. The Hollow, unable to slow its momentum enough to turn and defend itself in time, was quickly dispatched with a single stroke of Taylor's sword. Again Rukia was impressed. Taylor had made an enormous amount of progress in a very short time. _She's a natural…_ Rukia couldn't help but feel silly now about discounting Taylor's skill.

Rukia approached Taylor as she was getting back into her body. "Are you alright, Taylor?"

Taylor didn't look at her as she replied, "Yea. I'm fine."

Rukia paused for a moment, unsure. She felt bad now for not trusting Taylor, especially considering how much risk she had put herself in to make the plan work. And it had worked, demonstrating both Taylor's creativity and her fighting ability. It seemed that Taylor really was committed to being a Soul Reaper.

"Taylor… " Rukia began, but she was cut off.

"You don't have to say anything, Rukia." Taylor turned towards her and met her eye steadily this time. "I've always half-assed things. I'd like to blame my mom, but that's not really fair. It's been my own fault and I know it. I just never really cared about anything. But, this Soul Reaper thing I'm not going to half-ass." There was determination in her voice.

"I'm going to do it and do it right." Taylor looked away now, her gaze shifting upwards to the sky. "I'm not going to be afraid of my power anymore. I'm going to use it and protect as many people as I can, no matter happens to me. I feel that it's the least I can do…"

Realization crept into Rukia's mind, as she listened to Taylor's words. _It's because of Ichigo._ There was something about Ichigo that brought out the best in people, and here Taylor was- the perfect example. Rukia was pleasantly surprised to find herself smiling.

"Come on. Let's head back to school. I think we can still make our last class." Taylor turned to her surprised and then, seeing the warmth on Rukia's face, smiled back.

"Yea," Taylor replied, the sarcasm in her voice light and joking. "It would be a shame if we missed class!"

As they headed back to the school, really talking for the first time, Rukia felt relieved. Though Taylor was still a mystery, Rukia was glad that she was no longer a stranger. She felt like she didn't have to hide her true personality around Taylor and that they could perhaps be friends now.

_But still…her power disturbs me._ Rukia knew that until she learned where Taylor's power had come from that she would never trust her completely.

…

"Well, you're in a good mood today."

I look up at Urahara, after taking off my shoes, to see him considering me questioningly.

"Yep!" I say, smiling brightly. But my smile is forced. It's true that I'm in a much better mood than I was yesterday, but I'm very nervous about telling Urahara about my dream and asking him where my powers come from.

"Well let's get started then!" He says jovially, standing. "Since you're in such a good mood I guess you won't mind training extra long tonight!" He turns to head into the back of the shop, but pauses and looks back when I don't reply.

"There's something I need to ask you…" I begin, spontaneously deciding I'll tell him about my dream later. "Where…where do my powers come from?" I refuse to meet his eye, but peeking out from under my lashes I see him considering me carefully.

"I can't answer that."

"But-!"

He turns away from me again and sighs heavily, his shoulders slumping under an invisible weight. It appears as though he was expecting my question, but hoped he would never hear it. "You're not ready to hear the truth yet," he says softly. "But," he meets my eye squarely now, and I realize that he is making a promise, "When the time comes I will tell you the truth. Now let's get started." He exits the room, leaving me to follow in my own time.

I can't help but feel frustrated. That wasn't any kind of answer at all, but I'm an idiot if I think I'm going to get anymore out of him today than that. His reluctance to respond worries me almost as much as the lack of an answer. Even though I've decided I won't be afraid of my power anymore, I can't help but worry where it came from. And where my strange dreams come from. My doubts will continue to linger until I know. You can bet that I won't leave this issue alone. Especially, if I have more dreams like I did last night.

**Author's Note:**

_Whoot! It's my second chapter this month! To be perfectly honest I'm rather proud of myself for getting this chapter up so quickly. I'm definitely going to keep writing this story because I enjoy it so much and it really is a nice break from doing schoolwork all the time._

_I would like to thank Ishihackaloogie, Mayan, ..Rebels, MeatLover, Kurisetina, ComicXArena, and Shadow of a Broken Angel for reviewing since the last chapter went up. I know I haven't put people's names on here the last couple of times, but I'm going to start doing that again. As always reviews are appreciated, whether it's praise or constructive criticism._

_So, in the next chapter I'm going to put Taylor into the actual storyline of Bleach. I'm going to go ahead and tell you that it's going to be the part with Don Kanonji and that chapter will probably be fairly short. While Taylor's role in the actual story will not be that big in the next chapter, I will be advancing her story and her romance with Ichigo. :D I don't know when the next chapter up, because I've got a lot of stuff to do for school in October, but hopefully it won't take too long!_

_Thanks for reading! _

_**imagination junkie**_


	9. The Date

**Disclaimer:** _I do not own Bleach or anyone or anything from Bleach. It's as simple as that. Everything else, however, is mine. :D _

**Chapter 9: The Date**

I sigh with relief as I reach the door of the apartment. Urahara told me that he needed to get an early start on a resupply run tomorrow and sent me home early, giving me my first Saturday evening off since I started training with him. I'm looking forward to relaxing and spending an evening alone.

As I step inside I'm surprised to see my mother's shoes by the door. Well whatever. I'm sure she'll head out to the nearest bar soon. Intent on getting started on relaxing, I open the freezer door and dig for the quart of ice cream I bought earlier this week.

"Oh, honey you're home." I turn, ice cream in hand, to see my mother standing in front of her bedroom door putting earrings in. She's dressed in a nice dress and has makeup on. I can't help but frown. That's awfully fancy for my mom's usual dives.

"You look nice mom. What's the occasion?" I ask, as I rummage in the utensil drawer for a spoon, my interest already gone in anticipation of the ice cream.

"I have a date!" she tells me joyfully, disappearing into her room again. I pull a spoon out and dismiss any real thoughts of interest in my mother's date. Instead I focus on the ice cream and pry the lid off.

My mom comes back out arranging things in her purse. "You'll never guess whom it's with," she tells me playfully as she slips on her shoes. I grunt noncommittally, doing my best to ignore her as I dig my spoon into the ice cream.

"Do you remember that little neighborhood clinic that took care of us after that car accident? Well I went back there yesterday and thanked the doctor, Isshin Kurosaki, and he asked me out! I'm so excited! Have a good evening Taylor and don't wait up!" She waves cheerfully at me and snaps the door shut.

I freeze in horrified shock for a moment, my mouth open with loaded spoon inches from it. Dread quickly settles in my stomach as my brain slowly processes what just happened.

"_**WHAT?**_"

…**The Kurosaki Clinic…**

Ichigo lay stretched out on his bed. For once the house was quiet. His sisters never made too much noise and his dad had just left on a date or something. Rukia had disappeared too, probably to go see Urahara. Even Kon was being quiet as he lay on the floor coloring in a coloring book that he had stolen from Yuzu.

Ichigo was just contemplating taking a nap when the door ball rang, repeatedly and loudly. Ichigo cracked an eye open, irritated, as he heard confused yelling and a muffled apology coming from downstairs. Running feet pounded up the stairs, and Ichigo sat up just in time to see his door fly open.

"_Ichigo!"_

"T-Taylor?" Ichigo stared. Taylor stood in his doorway, flushed and panting like she'd been doing a lot of running. But, that wasn't the real reason he was staring.

Ichigo forced himself to close his mouth as he felt his face heat up. Taylor was dressed in a tight T-shirt and a short denim skirt. The hat that she claimed he had damaged was also on her head, hiding her blonde hair. And while it's true that he saw her everyday at school in a skirt, it wasn't a skirt like this. This skirt was short, and tight, and denim, and it looked damn good. _Man, she's got great legs…_ And the T-shirt did her far more justice than the school uniform shirt did. 

The only thing that ruined the picture was the raggedy hat on her head, the one she wore everyday on her way to and from school. It hid most of her hair expect for a peek of bright blonde bangs. Not for the first time he wondered why she wore it. It certainly wasn't doing her any justice.

"Ichigo do you know what your dad's doing right now?" Taylor demanded, still panting slightly. Ichigo forced himself to look at her face, but was unable to come up with a reply, instead opening and closing his mouth several times like a fish.

Taylor, suddenly realizing where he had been looking, reddened. "It's laundry day alright!" she shouted, clearly embarrassed. Ichigo was embarrassed to find that he was disappointed.

"Well, from where I'm at I hope laundry day is everyday!"

Taylor froze and slowly shifted her gaze downward to where Kon, whom she had stepped on when she busted into the room, was giving her a thumbs up.

With a terrified screech Taylor kicked Kon across the room. "Is that stuffed animal talking?" she cried, her yell bordering on hysteria.

Ichigo quickly seized on the distraction. This situation could easily get _a lot_ more embarrassing if things didn't move in another direction. "Geez, calm down. Yes he's talking, but he's not really a stuffed animal. He's a mod-konpaku," Ichigo replied, standing and picking Kon up.

Ichigo was pleased to see that Taylor had gotten completely derailed and that her attention was no longer on him. "He's a what?"

Ichigo sat back down on his bed. "He's a mod-konpaku, a modified soul, but we call him Kon for short. He's an artificial soul created by the Soul Society to fight Hollows. He's pretty much harmless though."

"I'm not harmless!" Kon protested. "I'm a lean, mean, Hollow fighting machine!"

"O…k…" Taylor's expression was half way between disgust and confusion. Ichigo fought the urge to snicker.

"So what are you doing here anyways?" he asked her.

Ichigo was surprised to see her face visibly blanche. "Do you know what you're dad's doing right now?" she asked, intensely.

"Yea. He's on a date or something," Ichigo replied nonchalantly, dropping Kon on the floor.

"Yea. He's on a date with my mom!" Taylor practically screeched, horror in her eyes.

Ichigo froze, his expression matching hers.

"_**WHAT?**_"

…

We decided quickly that the best thing to do would be to stop our parents date. Ichigo said he knew where his dad would take my mom, and we headed out, sprinting for downtown. Unfortunately we hadn't caught up with them yet…

"Are you sure you know where they're going to go?" I ask sullenly, willing myself not to think about what would happen if our parents actually started _dating_. Just the thought threatens to make me sick. It would just be so…wrong… Ah! I mentally shake myself to dispel the image.

"Yes!" Ichigo snaps back. He's obviously annoyed with my lack of faith. "We're almost there." He turns ahead of me around a corner and suddenly leaps back, running into me with enough force to knock me down.

"Hey!" I shout, stumbling backward as I try to regain my balance. I land on my butt, my hat tumbling from head and my hair falling free.

"S-sorry" he says and it sounds like he actually means it. I take his offered hand and he pulls me back up. He is just a second slow to release my hand and almost seems reluctant to do it. I feel a blush starting to creep onto my cheeks.

"What was that about?" I mutter, embarrassed, as I reach down and grab my hat. I dust it off as he gives me a long, puzzled look.

"Why do you wear that hat anyways?"

I pause in pulling my hair back and look at him with an irritated frown. "It's cause my hair stands out. I don't really want to deal with the type of attention that I get because of it, so I hide it. Surely you can understand that," I say with irony, indicating his mop of orange hair.

"I guess…" he replies, absentmindedly rubbing the back of his head.

"So why did you just knock me down?" I accuse trying to change the subject. I don't need to go into my insecurities with Ichigo.

" I said I was sorry," he mutters, turning around in time to miss my scowl. "They're just around the corner…" We both peek our heads around the corner. Indeed our parents are there. Ichigo's dad has opened the door of the restaurant for my mom. She gives him a smile before going inside. Eagerly he follows.

"Now what?" I ask Ichigo as we pull back around the corner.

"Come on," Ichigo replies, and without a backward glance he turns around the corner towards the restaurant. I quirk an eyebrow at him skeptically, but follow him nonetheless.

We enter the restaurant and are greeted by a hostess. I examine the room as Ichigo talks to her. It's a cozy little restaurant obviously locally owned and operated. The building we're in must be old. It's dark and a bit musty inside, and the room is shaped oddly, with lots of little nooks and crannies where the building has been renovated over the years. The décor is as mismatched as the building, with few of the sets of tables and chairs actually matching. Things probably accumulated over the years, but no one bothered to get rid of the old furniture. Large potted plants scattered throughout the room complete the atmosphere and add privacy as they help isolate the tables.

This restaurant is exactly the kind of place you would take someone on a romantic date. Oh geez…I feel queasy at the thought.

"Follow me," the hostess says interrupting my thoughts. She leads Ichigo and I into the restaurant proper, apparently heading for the back of the room. We round a small corner formed by the placement for an enormous fern and I just catch a glimpse of my mother and Ichigo's dad before jumping back.

"H-here's good!" I blurt out. Ichigo and the hostess both turn to look at me, confused. I move my eyes several times in the direction of our parents on the other side of the fern. Ichigo's frown deepens but he sneakily leans around the corner.

With a startled flinch, he leans back. "Yep! Here is good!"

"Are you sure?" the hostess asks, still confused. "There are tables at the back of the room that are more, ah, private."

Ichigo and I are thrown for a second. And then…

"No i-it's ok, really!" I blurt again, blushing. This hostess is awfully forward to imply that…that we're on a date or something! I can feel my cheeks get even hotter, my palms start to sweat, and my heartbeat become erratic. Geez what's wrong with me? Why am I so embarrassed?

Ichigo catches on and agrees, just as red as I am. The hostess merely shrugs, but gives us a sidelong look that clearly says 'That's where _I_ would be'. I catch her muttering as she leaves, "Suit yourselves."

We both sit down and I let out a relieved sigh as quietly as I can. Ichigo, who is seated next to the plant, leans around it again. "This is a good spot. I can see them perfectly."

I nod as he turns to face me again, his cheeks still a faint pink. I feel my own cheeks warm in response. What is wrong with me? Man, this is so stupid…

An awkward silence stretches between us.

…**Later that Afternoon…**

"It looks like they're getting ready to leave," Ichigo said leaning forward so the fern would hide him again. Taylor nodded, but didn't meet his eye. She almost looked…disappointed. Ichigo couldn't help but feel disappointed too.

After a brief awkward silence they had begun to talk. Not about anything deep or important, but just a normal conversation. It was the first time the Ichigo had a real conversation with Taylor. Sure, they said one or two things to each other during school or while they were fighting a Hollow, but that was it. She hadn't talked much about herself, but he still felt like her had learned a lot about her.

Until today Ichigo hadn't realized how smart or witty Taylor was. Sure she could be snarky and sarcastic, but that just seemed to fit who she was. He now understood why Rukia had become good friends with her. Ichigo found that he liked Taylor too. In fact he was finding that he really liked her.

Ichigo directed his train of thought away from this direction as Taylor stood up. With that miniskirt on Ichigo would find himself in big trouble if he kept thinking about how much he liked her. "Come on," Taylor said, still without looking at him. "Let's get outside first so out parents don't see us."

"Yea," Ichigo stood too and dug around in his pocket for spare change. They hadn't ordered anything but water since they didn't have any money, but Ichigo felt bad about leaving without giving their waiter some kind of tip. Outside Ichigo followed Taylor until they were back around the corner from earlier. They both leaned around it to watch for their parents.

They came out of the restaurant laughing and smiling. Ichigo grimaced as his dad offered Taylor's mom his arm. Ichigo's grimace deepened as she took it smiling. They headed off down the street and around the opposite corner towards what Ichigo knew was the nearest movie theater.

With a wave to Taylor he followed them, with Taylor close behind. This time however, she didn't just follow him. Instead Taylor walked next to him and Ichigo couldn't help but feel pleased. They hadn't gone more than a block when Taylor suddenly stopped.

"Wait," Taylor commanded, reaching out and grabbing Ichigo's wrist.

"What're you…" Ichigo's question died in his throat as he looked back at her. Taylor's eyes had become unfocused as if looking at something far away and her expression was completely blank. He waited for about a minute, Taylor's hand still locked around his wrist. Suddenly Taylor blinked, her eyes refocusing on Ichigo's face.

"There's a Hollow." Taylor stated, her voice deadly serious.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes." Taylor met his eye steadily.

Ichigo didn't hesitate. "Lead the way." As they ran off they both silently agreed that they would worry about their parents later.

…**10 Minutes Later…**

Ichigo and Taylor knew they were getting close when they heard the screaming. A few seconds later they came to an empty parking garage, used by the nearby office buildings during the week. Just inside the structure there was a female ghost being menaced by the smallest Hollow that either one of them had ever seen.

The woman must once have been a regular housewife. Her dark hair was pulled back and she was wearing a plain pink dress and a bloodstained apron that had probably gotten that way when she died. She was cowering against the inside wall of the parking garage.

As for the Hollow…well there wasn't much to it. It was tiny, probably only around three feet tall. Its body was all black, with the typical hole straight through its chest. Its mask looked like a caricature of a human skull, round and cutesy. The only real menacing part of the Hollow was the way that its yellow eyes gleamed hungrily. As Ichigo and Taylor watched it laughed and began to advance on the woman's ghost.

"You ready?" Taylor asked, pulling her gikongan from her pocket. Ichigo responded with a curt nod and also took his gikongan out. They both swallowed the pills, their souls exploding from their physical bodies.

"Hold it!" Ichigo shouted, stepping forward with one hand on his zanpakuto's hilt.

"Eh?" The Hollow turned to look at them obviously bemused at having its meal interrupted. "Oh! Soul Reapers! Well you two will be a much better meal than her." The Hollow turned back to the ghost who flinched under its gaze. "Get lost," it told her, making a shooing motion with its hands- er -claws. The woman didn't need to be told twice. She scrambled to her feet and ran. Taylor kept an eye on her until she was out of sight to make sure that she had gotten away safely.

Ichigo and Taylor both drew their swords. The Hollow let out a little bubble of laughter. "Well come get me Soul Reapers. If you think you can!" It then crossed its arms smugly over its chest.

Ichigo snorted in derision. With a roar he ran forward, and swinging his massive sword above his head, he brought it down and cleaved the little Hollow in half. The two halves of the Hollow slumped to the ground. Taylor let out the breath she didn't realize she'd been holding as Ichigo turned and flashed her a triumphant grin.

Ichigo was pleased. "Easy as pie," he said, sheathing his sword. Ichigo turned to leave when he saw Taylor's expression change from one of relief to horror.

"Look out!" she shouted jumping forward. Ichigo ducked and was shocked to see two Hollow's pouncing on him. There was a flash of silvery steel and the Hollows were cut in half. Taylor had gotten to him in time.

Ichigo stood up again to see the four Hollow pieces lying on the ground. "That was close," he said trying to sound lighthearted.

"I don't think it's over yet…"

"Huh?"

Ichigo and Taylor watched in horror as the pieces of Hollow began to writhe and wriggle, their shapes twisting and expanding. Slowly four complete Hollows stood where there had been four halves of two before. All four Hollows threw back their heads and roared and then leaped forward to attack. Ichigo and Taylor responded in kind, swinging their swords wildly to fend off the ever-increasing number of attackers.

Soon Ichigo found himself standing back-to-back with Taylor, surrounded by a throng of tiny Hollows. "Now…what…" he panted. If they didn't finish this soon he was worried they weren't going to make it.

"We need to figure out which one is the original…and kill it."

"Didn't I do that to start with?"

"I don't think so. I think the original Hollow must have made of copy of itself and then attacked that ghost just in case someone tried to kill it."

"Huh…" Ichigo pondered that for a moment. It made sense, but how were they going to find the original?

"Ichigo…" Ichigo looked over his shoulder to see Taylor fiercely staring him in the eye. "Can you cover me?"

Ichigo hesitated for a moment. But, if Taylor was going to trust her life to him he wasn't about to let her down. Not after he had screwed up the night that she had become a Soul Reaper. "Yes," he replied his expression just as fierce.

"Good." She flashed him a quick smile before turning around again and closing her eyes. Ichigo could feel her spiritual pressure change against his back, almost like it was stretching out and above him. She was going to try and sense where the original Hollow was hiding.

With a screech one of many Hollows threw itself at them and the wild fight began again, with Ichigo darting around trying to make sure that Taylor was safe. However, the more Hollows that he cut down, the more that regenerated to attack him. Ichigo quickly found himself overwhelmed as he tried to fight them off alone. _Come on Taylor. Hurry!_

"THERE!" Taylor shouted, and Ichigo turned to look up where she was pointing. On the level of the parking garage above them sat another Hollow identical to the ones surrounding them. It was well hidden against the darkness of the upper level. The Hollow, realizing that it had been spotted, jumped up and disappeared.

He heard Taylor yell and a bright white streak of spiritual pressure swung off her blade, cutting down the Hollows between them and the original. "Go, Ichigo!" she shouted, drawing back into a defensive position to cover his back.

Ichigo did as he was bid and jumped up to the next level of the parking garage. Looking around he spotted the Hollow running up the ramp to the next level. Ichigo jumped again, and landed in front of the Hollow. With a terrified screech the Hollow turned and began to run back down the ramp, but Ichigo jumped forward and killed it before it could go more than a couple of paces. As the original Hollow dissolved the ones surrounding Taylor dissolved into nothingness too.

Ichigo let out a sigh and then jumped back down to the first level. Taylor had already sheathed her sword. She looked exhausted.

"You ok?" Ichigo asked.

"Yea." Taylor managed to favor him with a tired smile. "You?"

"Yep," Ichigo replied, sheathing his own sword. Ichigo looked around. Their battle hadn't done any damage. They were just standing in an empty parking garage.

"I guess we make a pretty good team." Ichigo said, trying to sound off hand.

"Yea," Taylor replied, as if the realization had just dawned on her. "I guess we do." Taylor smiled again.

Ichigo found that he couldn't look away with the smile lighting up her face like that. His heart began to beat faster and he spoke again to cover his sudden nervousness. "I hadn't realized how good you are, especially at sensing Hollows. You really have improved."

"Oh, thanks." Taylor looked away this time, a bit sheepishly, and blushed.

Ichigo, embarrassed that he had made Taylor blush, began to blush too.

"Come on," she said suddenly. "We should catch back up with our parents."

"Y-yea…"

…

Late afternoon found Ichigo and I walking by the river. We had searched for our parents for a time in downtown, but after while we had decided that it just wasn't worth it. The path by the river was the closest way for both of us to get home, so that's the way we went.

It's late afternoon and the sun is beginning to set. The sky is on fire in hues of orange and red, with the deep blue-black of night just beginning to set in towards the east. The river is again awash with gold like it was during that afternoon when I had bought my uniform and run into Ichigo for the first time. Today it's also windy though, the breeze being strong enough to create little waves across the surface of the river making it look like some kind of abstract painting. I've nearly lost my hat a few times too.

We're both silent. But it's a nice kind of relaxed silence. It's feels perfectly natural to be walking side-by-side with Ichigo on a pretty, late spring afternoon. I can't help but feel just a little be warmer as I realize that we've really grown comfortable with each other.

I suppose really getting to talk today helped. I feel like I know him better, know more about his family and friends. And I saw him laugh, really laugh and smile for the first time today. And it was…amazing. He really is a different person when he's like that. And I can't deny that I want to see more of that side of him.

All of a sudden Ichigo stops. It takes me a second to realize this and when I turn I see that his head is down, eyes hidden by his hair, and his fists are clenched. I frown, concerned.

"Are you ok?"

He doesn't reply, instead turning to face the river. He stares at it for a minute or two and I wait. Just as I'm starting to get impatient he speaks.

"She died here," he says quietly. I start, surprised, but I'm also confused for a moment. Realization hits me as he continues. "This is the spot where my mother died."

"Ichigo…" I murmur his name, at a complete loss for words. Then to my great surprise he continues, telling me about her death. About the spirit he saw that he thought was a person. About how she had tried to protect him. About the guilt and self-hatred he felt.

By the end his fists are shaking and I feel a deep empathy for him. As he told me his story I relived the rollercoaster of emotions from a few weeks ago when I had almost lost my mother. I'm still at a lost for words, but I want to comfort him somehow. I reach my hand up, hesitantly at first, but when I lay it on his shoulder it's with assurance.

His head snaps up and I can see surprise and pent up tears in his eyes. "Ichigo…" his name unintentionally slips through my lips this time as I ache for his loss. I don't know what he sees in my face, because I honestly can't tell what expression I've got at the moment, but I give him the best comforting smile I can manage.

It's slow at first, and it's small, but Ichigo smiles back. The moment between us is a quiet one, but it seems to stretch on infinitely as if time has stopped. I…I don't know what to feel…It's just…I recognize now that I really care about Ichigo. Probably even more than as I friend, I realize, as I find myself pleasantly trapped in his gaze.

The moment is ruined as a sudden gust of wind comes up and blows my hat off my head. I grab for it with a yell and then find my vision blocked by my bright blonde hair. By the time the wind, and my hair, have died down enough for me to see my hat is already in the river floating away.

"Damn it!" I shout, angrily pushing my hair out of my face.

"You know…you really look better without the hat…" Ichigo says thoughtfully, as he considers me carefully.

I stare at him wide-eyed for a moment, my cheeks hot. "Hmph!" I huff in derision. I cross my arms across my chest and glare at him, willing the blush to fade. "You just said that to try to get of paying for the new hat that you owe me."

Ichigo gapes at me for a moment and then scowls back at me, crossing his arms too. "Whatever. I don't owe you anything."

"Yes you do! You ruined that one before when you ran into me and knocked me down. You should have bought me a new one before, but now you have to cause I don't have one."

"That's bullshit. It's not may fault your hat got ruined before."

And so we spent the rest of our walk together arguing about whether he should buy me a new hat or not. It wasn't a real argument though. We were really just joking around. Besides, I had already decided that I wasn't going to be wearing hats anymore.

**Author's Note:**

_Happy New Year everyone! Ok so I realize two things… First is that this chapter is not at all what I said it was going to be. Second is that it was posted way later than I said it was going to be. I have an explanation (or really they're just excuses, but anyways…) for both._

_I know I said I would continue writing after the last chapter because it was a good break from schoolwork, but the fact of the matter is that after midterms I really didn't have any free time. However, I graduated in December and until I find a job I will have lots of free time to write._

_As for this not being the chapter that I said it would be that's because I thought about it and decided that it would be better not to interrupt the Bleach timeline by throwing this chapter in after Don Kanonji. However, I thoroughly enjoyed writing this chapter and it's probably my favorite one so far. It was also an important chapter to build Ichigo and Taylor's relationship because now they know that they like each other. And there was lots of blushing and awkwardness, but I felt it was appropriate as they are just starting to realize their feelings for each other. _

_I would like to thank Smilie Faces, Evalyd Yamazaki, ComicXArena, ShatterTheHeavens, Shadow of a Broken Angel, zipscool, Ishihackaloogie, Princess-Lazy-Chan, and ..Rebels for reviewing since the last chapter went up. And I love how many of you there are! I also want to thank everyone who put this story on alert too! As always I love it when people review _

_Ok so next time I will really get to Don Kanonji. Beyond the next few chapters though I'm not entirely sure where I'm going anymore. I started this story a waaaay long time ago and the original plot I had does not at all fit with what actually happens. I have a couple ideas where I want to go, but even if I pick one I might change my mind again, so we'll just have to see. Anyways, like I said I have lots of free time now so updates should come more regularly, but I make no promises. Sorry __, but I will try!_

_Thanks for reading! _

_**imagination junkie**_


	10. Idiots Are  Always With You

**Disclaimer:** _I do not own Bleach or anyone or anything from Bleach. It's as simple as that. Everything else, however, is mine. :D _

**Chapter 10: Idiots Are Always With You**

BEEBEEPBEEPBEEEP WHAM!

With a clatter my alarm clock falls to the floor. I sit up, still groggy, and rub my eyes. I glance down at the alarm clock, which miraculously still works. It reads 5:30 am. I guess it's time to get ready for school…

With a sigh I stand and get dressed, my mind occupied with the dream I had been having. As they always are these days, my dream was about Soul Reapers. They've gotten stronger too. No instead of feeling like I'm watching someone's memories, I feel like I'm in them.

This one I'd just had was…weird. I was standing in a nice courtyard, but I have no idea where it was. In front of me a young girl Soul Reaper with pigtails was beating up another Soul Reaper with very long blonde hair. Looking back on it now it makes absolutely no sense, but in the dream it seemed completely normal. Like it happened all the time.

I really don't know what to make of these dreams. I'm starting to wonder about a few things, but they really don't make any sense. The dreams seem to match with everything Urahara has told me about the Soul Society, but how can I be dreaming about that? I've never been there so the memories must be from the presence that I can feel inside me right? Whose memories am I seeing?

I shake my head to rid it of these thoughts. Seriously, thinking about this too much will only give me a headache. I head into the kitchen to make myself some breakfast. However, as I start to eat, my mind drifts off again. Back to the on thing that has occupied most of my waking thoughts for the past week: Ichigo.

I literally cannot stop thinking about him. Never have I acted more like a silly, lovesick schoolgirl and yet I don't really mind. Every time I zone out in class or walking home from school my mind drifts to him and I have some silly little fantasy about him. About him holding my hand. About him putting his arms around me and holding me close. About him kissing me.

Usually where we're kissing is when I shake myself out of it. It's absolutely ridiculous and yet I can't stop myself. At some point that day when our parents went on the date my feelings about him changed. It was probably there by the river, I've realized, after replaying those moments over and over again in my head. I don't know if I _love_ Ichigo: after all I've never been in love before. But I definitely like Ichigo. I definitely like him _a lot._

With a frustrated sigh I stand and take my dishes to the sink. I put my shoes on and head out the door to school, pace unconsciously quickening in anticipation of seeing him again.

…

Ichigo couldn't stop thinking about Taylor. As hard has he tried he just couldn't. Whenever he wasn't completely focused on something his mind drifted away and he began to daydream about her. It was quite problematic actually. Ichigo _was _a teenage boy after all and not all of his fantasies were completely innocent. Ichigo always managed to pull himself back to the present before things got too bad, but there was still a massive risk of embarrassment.

Ichigo wasn't entirely sure what had happened. Something had passed between them by the river and now they were awkward and easily embarrassed around each other. Ichigo was sure now that he liked Taylor. That he really liked Taylor. And her behavior seemed to suggest that she liked him too. His heart beat faster at the thought.

"Hey Ichigo. Are you ok?"

Ichigo's head snapped up and he reddened as he realized he had been caught daydreaming again. He and Rukia were walking to school. She had stopped in front of him on the sidewalk and was watching him with concern.

"Y-yea. I'm fine," Ichigo said, putting his normal frown on to try to cover things up. "Why wouldn't I be ok?"

"If you say so," Rukia replied, clearly not buying it. "Anyways I'm going on ahead. I'll see you at school."

"Yea…" Ichigo replied, his mind already beginning to wander again.

"And try not to walk into anything."

"Hey!" Ichigo shouted, but he was too late. Rukia was already dashing down the sidewalk. "Damn it," Ichigo muttered annoyed. He was really getting tired of Rukia constantly bothering him about spacing out. _Well whatever. At least she's gone for now_. Ichigo continued walking to school, this time free from worrying about having his daydreams interrupted.

…**Karakura 1****st**** High School…Before 1****st**** Period…**

I pause before the door to the classroom as I attempt to collect my thoughts. Pushing Ichigo as far back in my mind as I can manage, I reach forward and slide the door open. As soon as I do so I am greeted by a massive 'BWHAHAHA' from Orihime.

I just stand there, blinking at her. What the hell? She stares back at me, just as confused, with her arms crossed over her chest, her hands even with he shoulders. "Um…hi Orihime."

"Hi Taylor!" she exclaims beaming, all traces of confusion gone. I walk past Orihime to my desk, with her close on my heels. "You know what that was from, don't you Taylor?" she asks me conspiratorially.

"Yea. It's from Spirit Hunter, right?" I reply, naming one of the most popular shows on TV at the moment.

"Correct!" Orihime shouts, throwing her hand ups in the air with enthusiasm.

Before she can continue Tatsuki, who has walked up behind her with her hands on her hips, interrupts her. "Orihime, you need to stop doing that to everyone who comes through the door. You're going to give someone a heart attack." Tatsuki is clearly exasperated.

Orihime whirls around, quickly changing gears. Honestly Orihime is a total spazz, but she's so sweet it's impossible not to like her. I've found she's also very empathetic and I can't help but be glad that she has become one of my closest friends.

"I know Tatsuki, but I just can't help it! Last night's episode was so exciting!" Orihime suddenly whirls back around to me. "You watched it didn't you Taylor?" she asks, her eyes shining eagerly.

I feel a pang in my chest and quickly busy myself with unpacking my backpack. "No. I don't have time to watch it anymore. I'm always working. I used to watch it all the time with my mom though." I manage to reply nonchalantly, but I'm unable to completely disguise the sadness in my voice.

Orihime's face falls for a moment, and Tatsuki is watching me with concern from behind her. I mentally cringe. I've told my friends at school bits and pieces about my relationship with my mom and how it's pretty much crap. But, I seriously don't want to be the center of a pity party right now.

Orihime suddenly perks up again. "That's ok! I know how busy you are with work, so I'll just tell you what happened!" I agree gratefully in order to move past the awkwardness of the moment.

Also, I always worry that when I tell someone that I'm at work they'll somehow find out that I don't actually have a job. It's just the excuse I use to cover up training with Urahara all the time. I even tell it to my mom, even though she never notices whether I'm home or not.

"They're filming next week's episode here in Karakura!" Orihime shouts, bubbling with excitement. "Isn't that great?"

Before I can agree, because it really is kind of exciting, the door to the classroom slams open again revealing Rukia with her sickeningly happy grin plastered on her face. "Hello everyone!" she exclaims, her voice unnaturally high in the persona that she uses at school.

"Hi Rukia!" Orihime shouts back before running over to her and 'BWHAHAHA'ing in her face. Rukia stares at her utterly confused, her facade forgotten for the moment.

"Oh come one Rukia, you know what that's from!"

"S-sure I do! But, tell me again anyways?"

"It's from Spirit Hunter!" Orihime answers joyfully. Rukia just looks more confused. "You know the TV show?" Orihime asks, cocking her head to the side as she realizes that Rukia doesn't get it.

As I watch poor Rukia get even more confused, a wonderfully devious idea pops into my head.

"Don't worry about what it is Rukia," I say as I approach them and place my hand on Orihime's shoulder. "All you need to know is that it's the perfect way to irritate Ichigo."

"Oh?" Rukia replies, her ecstatic façade back on. But, now she has a devious glint in her eye that matches my own. Poor Orihime simply looks back and forth between us, her expression absolutely puzzled.

…

Ichigo stood before the door of the classroom, completely unenthused. It was, after all, the beginning of another day at school. _But,_ a little corner of his mind reminded him, _you get to see Taylor at school._

Ichigo felt his heart suddenly begin to race and his face start to flush. _SHUT UP!_ he told that little corner of his mind as he fought to get himself under control. Like he had forgotten about that.

Ichigo reached forward and slid the door open and was greeted by a massive 'BWHAHAHA' from Rukia, Orihime, and Taylor. Ichigo's characteristic scowl deepened as his temples began to throb in the beginnings of a headache. Oh how he hated that show!

Orihime smiled up at him innocently. Behind her Rukia had her 'school' smile plastered on her face, but her eyes glinted deviously. And Taylor was straight up smirking at him. Clearly they (being Taylor and Rukia) had done this just to mess with. Orihime did this every week the day after the show aired. A vein in Ichigo's head started to throb.

"You." Ichigo said pointing to Orihime. She blinked in surprised and pointed to herself questioningly. "You do this every week."

"You." Rukia was next. She crossed her arms and cocked and eyebrow at him. "You don't even know what the hell that was I bet." Rukia snorted disdainfully and opened her mouth to speak, but Ichigo didn't let her.

"You." He had turned to Taylor now. "I can't believe you'd be doing that. Don't tell me you actually like that ridiculous show!" Taylor gaped at him for a moment, her expression one of complete surprise. Suddenly, her face contorted into anger.

"You're such a jerk!" Ichigo flinched at Taylor's sudden shout and felt his own anger deflate. "Damn it, I don't know why I even waste my time on an idiot like you!" She snapped and whirled away from him. Before she turned, however, Ichigo would have sworn that he saw tears in the corners of her eyes.

Ichigo gaped at Taylor's retreating back as she stalked to her desk. "What the hell was that about…" he asked the air. He was completely dumbfounded by her reaction.

"You really _are_ an idiot," came from Rukia and was accompanied by her elbow in his stomach.

Ichigo gasped for air and hunched over. "What the hell was that for!"

Rukia, now joined by Tatsuki, was looking at him sternly. Orihime was glancing between him and Taylor with unease. "She used to watch Spirit Hunter with her mom, but she can't anymore because of work." Tatsuki answered.

_Aw hell_. Ichigo straightened and rubbed the back of his head. He had just screwed up big time.

…

I sit and glare daggers at my desk, blinking back the tears in the corners of my eyes, still too angry to be embarrassed. The way I had just reacted was stupid, really stupid. What he had said really wasn't a big deal, but I couldn't help it. What Ichigo said hurt and my natural reaction was to lash out. Part of my mind wails that he'll hate me now. Also stupid, but again I couldn't not think it.

A pair of shoes stops beside my desk and a throat is awkwardly cleared. I refuse to look up. "Uh…" It's Ichigo of course.

I snap my gaze up to him and give him my best 'Spit it out or get the hell away from me' look. He visibly flinches, swallows nervously, and continues.

"I guess Spirit Hunter isn't that bad…I mean I catch it sometimes because my dad and sisters like it and…" Ichigo babbles for a moment and I just stare at him. What on earth is he talking about?

Then it dawns on me. He is trying to apologize to me, but because he's such an idiot that he can't just say he's sorry. But, still his gesture touches me. My heart begins to pound.

"Ichigo," I begin.

…

"Ichigo," Taylor began. Ichigo instantly stopped talking, unease making his stomach churn uncomfortably. "It's ok…" she said softly.

Her eyes had softened and the corners of her lips had turned up in the faintest of smiles. Ichigo found himself breathless and his heart thundered in his chest.

"Ok…" he said, looking away, his hand instantly going to scratch the back of his head. He knew he was blushing.

"And thank you," she added, now looking at her desk. However, Ichigo didn't miss the blush gracing her own cheeks and the sight of it made him feel giddy. Thankfully the bell rang then and Ichigo was able to go to his seat. The feeling of giddiness stayed with him for the rest of the day, however.

…_**The Next Week…**_

It's been a week since the whole 'BWHAHAHA' incident at school. And Ichigo and I have barely spoken to each other since. It has just been really awkward. I want to talk to him, but for some reason I can't seem to get the courage up too.

"Are you alright? You seem a bit…distracted." I look up from untying my shoe to see Urahara giving me that knowing grin of his. I really do hate him sometimes.

"I'm fine," I grumble and kick off my shoes, stepping into the shop.

"Good!" Urahara exclaims, standing. "Because I've got a lovely training session planned for you tonight!"

I manage to suppress my groan and ask him something that's been bothering me. "What about the taping of Spirit Hunter tonight?"

Urahara turns around and blinks at me, confused. "What about it?"

"Well…" I'm not really sure what to say. I actually kind of want to go, but it's probably better if he doesn't know that. "I mean, what if there ends up being a Hollow there or something? Wouldn't it be dangerous with all those people there?"

Urahara merely laughs and waves his hand dismissively. "Don't be silly Taylor! That show is completely fake. Now come on!" He disappears into the back of the shop. I sigh, defeated and disappointed, and follow him.

…

Several hours later finds me seated on a rock in the underground training area. I've managed to convince Urahara to let me take a break. I eye him suspiciously as I take a swig from my water bottle. He seems to be waiting just a little too patiently for me to be finished.

Suddenly Tessai appears out of nowhere behind Urahara. Tessai bends down and whispers in his ear. Urahara's face becomes alarmingly serious as Tessai talks. When he finishes Urahara nods in dismissal and Tessai disappears again.

"Well," Urahara says suddenly cheerful as he claps his hands together. "It turns out we're going to see Spirit Hunter after all!"

"Huh?" I'm seriously confused- and kinda freaked out- now. "Didn't you say before that we weren't going to go?"

Urahara, who is already half way to the ladder, turns back to me. "Didn't you know? Jinta and Ururu are huge fans! There's no way that I could deny them seeing Spirit Hunter right in front of them!"

"Right…" I mutter sarcastically and roll my eyes. A frown pulls the corners of my mouth down. This is awfully suspicious…

…

We arrive at the abandoned hospital where they're filming and my bullshit meter is in the red. Especially since Urahara didn't let me get back in my body before we left. I've also been feeling a really weird presence, as we've gotten closer. It feels like a Hollow, but…not. I'm worried.

But, I'm kind of excited too. We approach the hospital and its pretty much chaos. There are light and camera crews working around a stage and the entrance to the hospital, apparently setting up for the next shot. A massive crowd of people surrounds the hospital and I recognize some people from school. I spot Orihime and Tatsuki and some distance away I can also make out Chad standing a head above the rest of the crowd. I idly wonder of Ichigo is here.

Then I catch a glimpse of Don Kanonji. As cool as I used to think he was on TV he looks kind of like an idiot in person. But, it's still pretty awesome to be here. I try to relax so I can enjoy watching, but suddenly an eerie howl echoes through the night air.

Instantly I reach for my zanpakuto, but before I can draw it Urahara puts a hand on my wrist to stop me. "Hold on," he says calmly. "Does that sounds like a Hollow to you?"

The howl comes again and I listen more closely this time. "No…" I reply looking to him for an explanation.

"Look there" he says, and points through the crowd. Following the line of his hand I see a spiritual figure emerge from the ground in front of the hospital. Chains are attaching him to the hospital. The man is yelling at another man setting up a light who clearly isn't aware of him.

"What is he?"

"A demi-Hollow. He is a soul who is in the process of becoming Hollow." I look again and make note of the half open hole in his chest, his Chain of Fate still attached. "His soul is tied to that hospital, but there isn't really much to worry about from him unless someone physically forces the whole to open completely. It'll probably be another six months before he fully becomes a Hollow." Urahara explains all this calmly and almost scientifically.

I consider all of this carefully. "So it was him that I was sensing? Something that was kind of like a Hollow, but wasn't one?" I ask, looking up at Urahara.

Urahara looks down at me, surprise on his face. Then he tilts his head down, his hat hiding his eyes, and smiles. "Yes it was. Very good Taylor."

Before I can respond the lights flicker on in front of us and a roar of approval rises from the crowd. Clearly the show is about to start again and Urahara and I both face forward to watch.

Don Kanonji (literally) prances out in front of the cameras and begins shouting about 'smelling bad spirits'. I was really excited to see this before, but Don Kanonji really does look like a farce in person. I guess Ichigo was right about Spirit Hunter being stupid.

Once Don Kanonji's spiel is done he walks over to the demi-Hollow. They size each other up for a moment and then Don Kanonji plunges his cane into the demi-Hollow's hole and wrenches it about, forcing the whole to open more. The demi-Hollow screams in agony.

"What the hell is he doing?" I leap forward with every intention to stop him, but someone snags my collar. I look back to see it's Urahara shaking his head at me. "What the hell, Urahara?"

"Wait," he says calmly.

"But-!"

"Just wait."

I turn back around at the sound of more shouting and see that Ichigo has hopped the rope separating the spectators from the taping with Rukia hot on his heels. Did Urahara want me to wait so Ichigo could take care of it? However, both Ichigo and Rukia are quickly tackled by security guards and are dragged away.

"Can I-!" I turn back to yell at Urahara, but stop halfway as he and Tessai have disappeared. Only Jinta and Ururu stand with me now. "Where'd he go?"

"How the hell I am supposed to know?" Jinta asks me, and I fight the urge to pummel him for his attitude. Ururu points and I look forward again as the unmistakable sound of a soul leaving a body rents the air.

Ichigo's body goes rolling across the ground in front of the hospital courtesy of Urahara's cane. Tessai emerges from a gaggle of security guards with Rukia thrown over one shoulder and Ichigo's body over the other. There are too late, however, as the demi-Hollow lets out one last tormented scream and explodes.

The demi-Hollow turning into a full Hollow isn't good, but it should help remove any threat that it might have posed to the crowd. After all when a soul turns into a Hollow it explodes and then reforms as a Hollow somewhere else. That's what Urahara has taught me, but my feeling of unease hasn't abated as Urahara, Rukia, and Tessai rejoin us.

"Taylor!" Rukia exclaims, surprise and relief coloring her tone.

"Are you alright?" I ask her.

"Yes," she replies. "But I'm still worried." She turns and looks back at the hospital.

I nod in agreement and we are all quiet for a moment. Ichigo berates Don Kanonji while the crowd looks on, completely unaware of what has just transpired.

Suddenly my death sense twinges forcefully, the presence of a Hollow filling my senses. My head snaps up as I look to the top of the hospital. "Oh no…" escapes my lips as a whisper as spiritual fragments reform into the shape of a Hollow on the roof of the hospital. The Hollow is not particularly large, its body shaped like a frog with a very wide mouth.

The Hollow throws back its head and roars and everyone in the group around me finally notices it.

"No!" Rukia shouts. Jinta and Ururu make sounds of alarm and Tessai grunts unsurprised. Urahara is oddly silent. The Hollow leaps down from the roof of the building and attacks Ichigo and Kanonji. I reach for my zanpakuto in order to go help them, but again Urahara stops me.

"Damn it, what the hell!" I've really had enough of this!

"Urahara, what is the meaning of this?" Rukia asks, her expression fierce.

"Let's just wait and see how Ichigo handles this shall we?" he replies, strangely neutral. There is a calculating glint in his eye that I don't like. Rukia and I exchange uneasy glances, but I stay put.

The sound of breaking glass draws our attention back to the hospital. Ichigo, Kanonji, and the Hollow have disappeared. Ichigo must have lured the Hollow into the hospital to keep it away from the spectators. It's a good idea.

Unfortunately, however, all I can do now is wait. I can't even watch Ichigo fight with him inside the hospital and I can't help but worry. It seems like it's taking far too long, the Hollow's presence lingering as a low buzz in my mind. My breath comes faster and shallower than it should and I clench and unclench my hands in anxiety.

It's stupid that I'm this worried about Ichigo. He's been a Soul Reaper longer than I have and I've seen him in action enough times to know that he's perfectly capable. But it's absolutely impossible for me not to worry about him and the thought that he could get injured or even killed makes me sick.

There is another sudden explosion out the side of one of the floors of the hospital. Out of the dust the Hollow appears and runs up the side of the building. Embedded in its shoulder is Ichigo's sword, with Ichigo somehow dangling from the hilt.

I manage to close my gaping mouth and turn to Urahara. "Can I go help him _now_?" I demand.

Urahara, now grinning, flips open his fan to hide his face. "Sure. Be my guest."

Without another word I turn and sprint towards the hospital through the crowd. I pause at the base of the hospital wall and gather as much spiritual pressure as I can muster to the bottom of my feet. As I release it I jump and find myself easily flying up the side of the building, high enough to clear the roof by ten feet or so.

Below me on the roof itself I see Ichigo who has somehow managed to get himself attached to the railing by some sort of gooey substance. The Hollow looks like it's about to pounce on him. I draw my sword and shoot a wave of spiritual pressure off it at the Hollow. The Hollow leaps away in time to avoid being hit and I land in between it and Ichigo.

"Taylor!" Ichigo exclaims in surprise.

"Are you alright?" I ask him, without turning around.

"Yea," he says and I can hear him shifting around within the goo. "Except for this stuff."

I let out a breath in relief that I didn't know I'd been holding. I feel so much better now that I know he's ok.

Unfortunately I don't get much time to enjoy my relief as the Hollow leaps at me growling. I block its first strike and we are off, trading blows across the rooftop. For being newly born this Hollow is pretty canny and it's quick, making it difficult for me to get in close enough to kill it as I dodge flying blobs of goo.

"Hey! Why don't you get me out of this crap so I can help?" I hear Ichigo shouting at me.

"That's a great idea!" I shout back, irritated. "Are you going to distract it while I do that?"

It's then that the door to roof flies open and Don Kanonji steps out. "The hero has arrived!" he shouts, triumphantly.

Everything on the roof freezes for a moment as we all stare in disbelief (including the Hollow). Then the Hollow leaps at Don Kanonji and he leaps to the side with a terrified squeal. With quickness motivated by desperation I manage to get in front of him in time and fend the Hollow off.

"Oh, another one like the boy," Kanonji says, sitting up. "You must be a fan of mine too girl!"

"Errr…something like that," I reply, my focus still on the Hollow which is pacing back forth on the other side of the roof.

"Perfect then!" Kanonji has jumped to his feet now. "Then you go free the boy, while I take care of that monster."

He's joking right? "How about you go free Ichigo and I'll take care of the monster," I reply in a tone that clearly says I'm not in the mood for arguing.

"Eh? But that's not heroic! I'm the hero, girl, I have to defeat the monster!" I look back at him dumbfounded. Kanonji has his chest puffed out and stands with his hands on his hips in what he probably assumes is a heroic posture.

Did I really used to think this guy was cool? He's an idiot! But, clearly yelling at him isn't going to work. I clench my teeth together and prepare to sweet-talk him.

"But, Mr. Kanonji," I begin, in my best imitation of Rukia's 'sweet little schoolgirl' voice, "You're a great hero right? What's more heroic than rescuing another person? Killing monsters isn't so heroic when you compare it to that right?" I can here Ichigo gagging in the background and I shoot him a nasty look before turning back to Kanonji.

Kanonji looks shocked for a moment. Then he closes his eyes and nods a few times, like he's thinking about what I just said. "You're right girl!" he shouts suddenly, and loudly enough that it makes me jump. "Saving that boy takes the top priority! I'll kill that monster once he is safe, so just hold on until a get back!" He gives me a thumbs up and flashes me what is supposed to be a dashing smile before running over to Ichigo.

I turn back to the Hollow, which seems to finally have lost its patience. It charges at me roaring and I lift my zanpakuto into a guard stance, fully prepared to devote my full attention to it.

Suddenly an odd feeling comes over me. I feel light-headed and the edges of my vision begin to blur. The image of the Hollow charging towards me starts to shift and twist, the colors and the light changing. I blink to try and clear my vision and when I open my eyes again I see a completely different scene.

I'm standing in what looks like an office. There is a desk directly in front of me and one to my right, with bookcases lining the opposite wall. The man seated at the desk in front of me has ridiculously long blonde hair and looks completely bored. It takes me a minute, but I recognize him from a dream I had a week ago.

There is the sound of someone talking, though I can't make out the words. My body automatically turns towards the voice and I see another man, holding a stack of papers, coming around the side of the other desk. He has brown, wavy hair, black, square-framed glasses, and is wearing a carefully pleasant expression. However, there is a coldness in his eyes that makes me shiver as my hands reach out to take the papers from him.

The brown-haired man looks familiar too, and there is a feeling of dread in my stomach as I try to figure out where I've seen him before. However, I don't get the chance to think more about it as something collides with my side at high speed. I feel myself go flying, hit the ground hard, and roll several times before coming to a stop. When I open my eyes I see I'm back on the rooftop. The Hollow must have hit me, as my side throbs sharply. There is a clatter as my zanpakuto skids to a stop about ten feet away from me.

Shit, I'm in big trouble now. I try to rise, but the pain in my side makes it difficult. That damn Hollow must have broken some of my ribs. There is the sound of feet pounding against concrete and I look up to see the Hollow bearing down on me, its eyes shining brightly in its mask as drool coats its teeth.

Defenseless and injured, I close my eyes and shout the one word that comes to mind.

"_Ichigo!_"

…

Ichigo fought against the goo holding him to the railing. Sure Taylor could handle herself, but he still wanted to be able to help her.

Don Kanonji arrived in front of him. "Don't worry boy! I'll have you free in no time!" he declared with way too much enthusiasm. "And then together we can defeat that monster!"

"Whatever, just hurry up," Ichigo replied as Kanonji began to charge a little ball of energy in his hand. The Hollow was charging at Taylor again now and Ichigo watched as she took a guard stance.

All of sudden Taylor's body stiffened and Ichigo got a sinking feeling in his stomach. Her face had gone completely blank, as if she was in a trance, her eyes seeing nothing in front of her. She didn't move a muscle as the Hollow approached her and raised its arm to take a swing.

"Taylor!" Ichigo shouted trying to get her attention. The little ball of energy left Kanonji's hand and slowly made its way towards the goo.

The Hollow swung its arm down hard, catching Taylor in the side and sending her flying across the roof. She lost her grip on her sword and it went flying too. Ichigo's heart stopped as he saw the Hollow charge again. "Taylor!" he shouted, desperation in his voice now.

There was a small explosion from his torso as Don Kanonji's little ball of energy came in contact with the goo. Ichigo leapt forward without hesitation, ignoring Kanonji's call of 'Wait!'. He could see Taylor trying to move now, her weird trance apparently broken.

It was obvious that Taylor couldn't get away. Ichigo willed his legs to run faster, afraid that he wouldn't make it time. That's when Taylor's scream tore through the night air and straight into his heart.

"_Ichigo!"_

She had called his name. She needed his help. She needed him to save her. And there was _no way in hell_ that he was going to fail.

New determination spurred Ichigo on even faster as he raced side-by-side with the Hollow. His final stride allowed him to get in between Taylor and the hollow and he raised his sword. "Sorry, but it's over for you!" Ichigo shouted, swinging his zanpakuto down and slicing the Hollow's head in two.

Ichigo just stood for a moment, panting, and savored his relief. He had made it in time. He turned to see Taylor trying to stand, her hand wrapped around her right side in a manner that suggested that her ribs were broken.

"Here," Ichigo said, offering his hand.

"Thanks," she murmured taking it, and Ichigo was sure that the 'Thanks' covered more than just him helping her up.

Once Taylor was standing Ichigo didn't let of her hand. He just…couldn't. Or didn't want to anyways. Taylor's cheeks were rather pink and Ichigo felt his warm in response. Taylor turned away to go pick up her zanpakuto and he was sad to feel her hand slide from his grasp.

"So what happened back there? Why did you freeze up like that?" Ichigo asked.

Taylor half-turned to him, alarm in her expression. "N-nothing," she replied, but it was pretty obvious she was lying. "I just…zoned out for a second."

An awkward silence stretched between them, a continuation of the awkwardness that had been surrounding them for the past week. Ichigo had wanted to talk to her more, but he had been afraid of saying the wrong thing. He didn't want to upset her again. And as much as he wanted to ask her more about what I had just happened he knew that pushing her now would only make things worse.

"You did it boy!" Don Kanonji cried, leaping over to Ichigo and twirling around.

"Don't get too excited just yet," Taylor muttered, scorn in her tone, and Ichigo had to fight the urge to smirk.

"Huh? Why not girl? This boy is a hero! He-"

"Look," Taylor interrupted, nodding towards where the Hollow lay. The Hollow had begun to disintegrate, first the Hollow shape disappearing to reveal the human spirit underneath. Slowly the human shape disintegrated too.

"Wh-what?" Don Kanonji was in shock. "But I thought I…" He fell to his knees.

Ichigo began to explain what exactly a Hollow was and how the way in which Kanonji carried out his exorcisms created them. By the time he was done Kanonji was crying. Ichigo felt bad, but he knew that this information had to be passed to him.

"There's point worrying about it now. It's not like you knew right?" Ichigo said.

"But…I was foolish." Kanonji sniffled.

Ichigo leaned over the railing on the edge of the hospital roof and smiled. "Hey hero. Your public is calling for you." It was true. A chant of 'Don Kanonji' was rising up from the crowd, carried to the roof by the wind.

Kanonji had stopped crying and was listening in surprise to the crowd.

"Go on," Ichigo said with an encouraging smile. "They're waiting for you."

Kanonji stood and went over to the edge of the roof. He looked down at the crowd for a long moment then let out an enormous 'BWHAHAHA'. The crowd responded in kind.

Ichigo heard a long-suffering sigh from behind him. He turned around and looked at Taylor. She had her hands propped on her hips and her expression showed how completely fed up she was. "He really _is_ an idiot," she commented. Ichigo allowed himself to grin this time.

*"Boy…Thank you." Ichigo looked back to Kanonji. "I honor you. Your courage, your quick thinking, and your strength." He turned around now and held out his hand for Ichigo to shake. "Please, keep lending me your help."

"Well…maybe sometimes," Ichigo replied, a bit taken a back as he reached out and shook Kanonji's hand.

"Thank you." Kanonji replied. "From this day forth you shall be my number one disciple!"*

…

From the look on Ichigo's face I'm sure it's pretty safe to say that he's in shock. His mouth is hanging open and his eyes are bugged out like a fish. Don Kanonji merely laughs and turns back to the crowd to 'BWHAHAHA' some more.

It begins as little giggles that I can contain behind my hand. It then turns into chuckles and finally full-blown laughter. By the time Ichigo snaps out of it I'm laughing so hard that there are tears in the corners of my eyes.

"What's so funny, damn it?" Ichigo asks me his eyebrow twitching. He is sooo pissed. Unfortunately his attempt at an intimidating stare only makes me laugh harder.

"N-nothing," I mange to squeeze out, as I bend over double to put my hands on my knees. However, my ribs don't seem to like that too much as they twinge in pain hard enough to make me gasp and stop laughing.

Ichigo instantly becomes concerned. "Are you ok?" he asks me, frozen in a position that suggests he was about to grab me.

"Yea, I'm ok." I grit my teeth against the pain and stand.

We stand there for a moment just looking at each other. Then Kanonji shouts and waves from the entrance to the stairs, "Come on, my number one disciple, girl!"

He runs back inside the hospital. I look over at Ichigo and see a vein has popped in his forehead. I do my best to smother a new fit of giggles. Ichigo turns his glare to me. "If you're not careful you're gonna break some more ribs."

I place my hands on my hips and cock an eyebrow at him. "Is that a threat?"

"It might be…" Ichigo mutters as he heads for the staircase.

"Ha!" I scoff. "Like you could beat me!"

"Oh really?" Ichigo replies. We banter the whole way back down the stairs and into the crowd.

As much as this whole night has been utterly ridiculous, and disturbing, the awkwardness between Ichigo and I has finally dissipated. Don Kanonji may be an idiot, but he made that possible at least. Every time I look at Ichigo I get a hopeful feeling in my chest and I want to giggle giddily. I guess that's normal when you like someone though.

Hopefully things will stay normal now.

**Author's Note:**

_Alright so here is Chapter 10. Finally, I know. It's been a really long time since the last chapter and to be honest I have no excuse. All I can say is that I'm sorry and I hope that all of my readers will forgive me._

_To be perfectly honest I was actually considering dropping this story for a while. But, then I came back and looked at it. I know there are a lot of people who really like this story and I would feel really bad if I disappointed everyone. So I have decided that I will finish it. Eventually._

_Ok so there definitely will not be any more posts til around Christmas. I'm a full time graduate student now and it's the end of the semester so I don't have much free time. Expect there to be a few chapters out around the end of this year and the beginning of next year. During school though I'm not going to be able to post very often, however._

_Also this chapter is really, REALLY long. I think that chapter length is part of the reason why I'm so slow to post because I get halfway through and I get tired of it. So I'm thinking my future chapters will be shorter, but hopefully they will be more frequent._

_In the section surrounded by the asterisks all the dialogue and the action were quoted directly from the English language version of Bleach, Vol. 4., Ch. 32 published by Viz. And a large part of this chapter is a massive paraphrase of the Bleach plot. _

_I'm sorry if I didn't do much with Kanonji. I know I made him kind of shallow, but he really wasn't my focus. Some really big things happened in this chapter though and you'll see some of them again._

_Finally reviews! __The Natural Blonde__ has 50 now. That really makes super happy! Thank you to anyone who has ever reviewed and thank you especially to the people who have reviewed since the last chapter: bored411, Night-Weaver369, SavageTrickster, Kouyan, Evalyd Yamazaki, kimmay94, Shadow of a Broken Angel, and Kurisetina. Also thank you to xXDiMeXx for the PM._

_I really appreciate all the reviews I get! Reviews help motivate me to write so please review again._

_Have a Happy Thanksgiving!_

_Thanks for reading! _

_**imagination junkie**_


	11. Visions or The Beginning of the End,pt 1

**Disclaimer:** _I do not own Bleach or anyone or anything from Bleach. It's as simple as that. Everything else, however, is mine. :D _

**Chapter 11: Visions or The Beginning of the End, part 1**

The next day my class was rather empty. Ichigo, Rukia, Orihime, Tatsuki, Chad, Keigo, and Mizuiro have all been dragged down to the principal's because they ended up on TV last night. I find it kind of difficult to hide my smirk. Clearly there are advantages to being invisible sometimes.

But it was strange not having everyone else in class, especially Ichigo. Without his overwhelming spiritual pressure flooding my senses I can feel a faint spiritual pressure that seems to be coming from inside the classroom. I scan the backs of my classmates for the umpteenth time trying to figure out where it is coming from, but I can't quite pinpoint it. It's like the person that it's coming from is trying to suppress it or something.

I lean back in my chair and my mind drifts to something that has been occupying my thoughts for most of the morning. For the first time since I've come to Karakura I didn't have any dreams last night. It was so strange to wake up and not have faintly familiar images echoing in my head.

I wonder if it's got something to do with the vision I had last night. Last night was as strange as it was frightening. It was exactly like one of my dreams, but it felt like I was living it rather than dreaming it. I have no idea what it means, but I'm going to have to get over my reservations and talk to Urahara about it soon. There's no telling what could happen to me if it happens again in the middle of a fight.

My death sense twinges again, stronger this time, as I feel the presence of a Hollow. I sit straight up and raise my hand, preparing to excuse myself from class. That's when I feel Ichigo's and Rukia's spiritual pressures take off towards it. I relax. They can handle it. A dark-haired boy at the head of the class raises his hand and asks to go to the bathroom.

…

The others returned a while ago, but Ichigo and Rukia didn't show up again until lunch. I am just about to eat when they pull me aside.

"Taylor," Ichigo begins seriously. "Did you kill that Hollow a while back?"

I blink at him in confusion. "No. Why?"

"It was gone when we got to the site where it emerged," Rukia answers.

"Maybe it went somewhere else?"

Rukia shakes her head. "No, someone had already killed it."

"That's weird…" I murmur. I look back up at both of them. "What do you think happened?"

Ichigo and Rukia exchange glances. "We're not sure," Rukia answers again. "But we have to get to the bottom of this." Ichigo and I both nod in agreement.

…

Later that afternoon as I am on my way to Urahara's I come across Rukia shouting at her Soul Pager.

"Darn that Kisuke Urahara! He's never around when I really need him! But he's always right there when he's not wanted! You call yourself a business man!"*

"Are you ok?" I ask her, interrupting her tirade.

Rukia lets out a little 'eek!' in surprise and whips around. "Oh," she visibly relaxes. "It's just you Taylor."

"Having problems with the Soul Pager?"

"Yea…and Kisuke isn't freaking answering his phone!"

"You know you could just come to the shop with me instead of yelling at it."

Rukia starts to blush, embarrassed. "I think I'll take you up on that."

I freeze as the spiritual pressure of a Hollow appears. "Rukia! There's a-!" Her Soul Pager begins to beep.

Rukia grabs it and flips it open. "I know. Let's go get Ichigo."

I follow her back into the school building at a run.

…

Meanwhile, Ichigo was hanging out with Keigo and Mizuiro inside the school. Keigo had just finished giving Ichigo grief about getting good grades when Mizuiro turned to him and asked in a perfectly innocent voice, "So, what's your relationship with Rukia?"

Ichigo's scowl deepened. "Why are you asking?"

"Oh no reason," Mizuiro answered the picture of innocence. "I've just been hearing some interesting rumors recently."

"I bet," Ichigo scoffed. "Ever since we were on TV everyone seems to think there's something going on."

"Well is there?" Keigo asked, jumping into Ichigo's face.

"Of course not," Ichigo answered dismissively. "We're just friends."

"Ah…" Mizuiro was smiling in a way that was starting to make Ichigo uncomfortable. "That's good for you and Taylor then."

Ichigo stiffened and his face heated up. Where in hell had this come from? Surely he wasn't that obvious! "Wh-what're you talking about?"

When he turned to look he was dismayed to find Keigo and Mizuiro smiling smugly at him. "There's nothing going on." Ichigo added turning away again. Damn it why was he blushing so much?

"But you wish there was don't you?" Mizuiro's voice was sweeter than honey.

"Ichigo and Taylor sitting in a tree K-I-S-S-I-N-G!" Keigo sang.

Ichigo had had enough. "You guys are both idiots. I'm going home." He turned away, blushing furiously, and began stomp down the hallway. He was interrupted by a shout from Rukia.

"Ichigo! We need you!"

He turned to see Rukia and Taylor charging full speed down the hallway at him. As they ran by Rukia grabbed his shirtsleeve and dragged him along.

Keigo and Mizuiro blinked in surprise. "Sorry guys, but we need to borrow him for a minute!" Taylor shouted and waved as she ran by.

Mizuiro chuckled. "They're pretty forward, huh?"

"Aaaah man! How come Ichigo gets all the cute girls!" Keigo's lament echoed through the hallways.

Ichigo didn't notice as Rukia dragged him by his dark-haired classmate.

Uryuu Ishida pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. He wasn't surprised. He knew that Ichigo Kurosaki and Rukia Kuchiki weren't even aware of his existence. He was a bit surprised, however, when Taylor Smithson shot him a curious glance as she passed him.

…

"Damn it! There's nothing here! Again!" Ichigo shouts in frustration. "You need to get that stupid thing fixed!" he shouts again, referring to Rukia's Soul Pager.

"Yea I know. I'll take care of it tomorrow. Just hurry up and get back in your body already!" Rukia snaps back, just as frustrated as Ichigo. She drags Ichigo's body around the corner.

I sigh and fight the urge to roll my eyes as I get back into my own body. We aren't getting anywhere with this. "There was a Hollow here…" I say quietly, expanding my senses and trying to figure out where it has gone. I can feel just the faintest trace of a spiritual pressure, but it isn't a Hollow or a Soul Reaper. It feels…human?

"Are you sure?" Ichigo snaps at me, now back in his body.

I turn on him, glowering. "Have I ever been wrong before?" I reply, unable to keep the haughtiness from my voice.

Ichigo blinks at me for a moment and then visibly deflates. "No you're right. Sorry." He reaches back and starts scratching the back of his head.

My expression softens as my chest warms. I give him a small smile, which he returns with a faint tint of pink on his cheeks.

"Fighting amongst yourselves? How sad." A male voice echoes down the street followed by the sound of footsteps. We all turn to see a dark-haired boy our age emerge from the shadows.

"Who the hell are you?" Ichigo asks.

"I would say I'm disappointed, but I didn't expect much from you Ichigo Kurosaki. It seems that Ms. Kuchiki and Ms. Smithson aren't much better, however."

Ichigo's expression hardens into anger while Rukia looks wary. I stare at the boy my mind whirling. I know this kid from somewhere. And his white outfit is familiar for some reason I can't place. "He's in our class."

Rukia and Ichigo both turned to me, surprised. "Really?"

"Well I'm glad to see that one of you isn't a total idiot." The boy smirks. "I also know you all can see spirits."

This catches all of us off guard. "D-don't be ridiculous…" Ichigo begins. "There's no such thing as-!"

I cut Ichigo off as my death sense twinges again. "There's another Hollow!"

"What?" Rukia exclaims as her Soul Pager goes off.

"Which way?" Ichigo asks, rushing over to Rukia to look at her Soul Pager.

Before she or I can answer the dark-haired boy does. "That way," he says pointing off to the right. "And it's pitiful that you can't even tell that much. And you call yourself a Soul Reaper?**"

All three of us just gape at him as a silver charm dangles out from his sleeve. There is a sudden burst of spiritual pressure and a glowing blue bow forms in his right hand. The boy reaches forward, grips the string, and pulls back. He lets a glowing blue arrow fly just as the Hollow appears down the street. The arrow goes straight through the Hollow's skull and it disintegrates.

That's what I suppose happened anyway because as the blue arrow passes me the edges of my vision begins to blur. As my vision starts to contort and twist my only thought is 'Not again!'. I blink to clear my vision and I'm no longer standing in the streets of Karakura.

Again there is no sound, but this time I'm glad there isn't. I'm standing on a battlefield, in the middle of a mêlée. Flashes of light reflect off steel as Soul Reapers swing their blades, bright red blood showering the grass. There are flashes of blue as men and women in white costumes fire arrows at the Soul Reapers even as they are cut down. A blue arrow passes right by me, nearly cutting into my cheek and again my body moves without me doing anything.

I turn and see a boy dressed in white behind me. He looks so young. He can't be more than 10, but he stands there with terrified determination and a blue bow and arrow aimed at my heart. My arm raises, sword in hand, and the boy's expression twists into terror. He turns to run, but my arm comes down anyways. His blood splatters my cheek.

What the hell? What is this nightmare? It continues on and on and I am helpless to stop it. I can only watch as my body slaughters more and more people. Unable to take it any longer I begin to scream, begging for the vision to stop. But there's no one to hear me.

…

Ichigo turned back to look at the boy in shock when he spotted Taylor. She was looking straight ahead, her eyes open but staring at nothing just like last night. What really alarmed him was that there were tears running down her cheeks.

"Taylor?" Worry made his chest feel tight. "Taylor!" Still no response.

"What's wrong with her?" Rukia asked, clearly concerned.

"I don't know, but she did this last night too." Ichigo turned back to Taylor again. He laid his hand on her shoulder and shook her gently. "Taylor!" he called.

With a sudden in take of breath she blinked and returned. However, she suddenly began to collapse, panting.

"Taylor!" Ichigo grabbed her shoulders to keep her from falling as she dropped to her knees. "What the hell happened?" he asked her, crouching next to her.

"N-nothing…" she panted and wiped her eyes.

Ichigo couldn't stop himself from snorting in disbelief.

"R-really I'm fine," she told him, offering him a smile as shaky as her voice.

Rukia could only watch. What on Earth had happened? It had happened before?

"Your spiritual pressure…" Taylor began, standing slowly after gently refusing Ichigo's attempts to help her up. "That's what I felt in class this morning." Taylor made steady eye contact with the boy.

Uryuu pushed his glasses up his nose. He wasn't entirely sure what had just happened, but there was something haunted in Taylor's gaze. He was also surprised that she had felt his spiritual pressure in class when he had been so careful about hiding it. Uryuu knew that Taylor was more sensitive to spiritual pressure than Ichigo or even Rukia but this was impressive.

"Yes, it was mine," Uryuu told her, his voice coldly aloof.

Ichigo stepped in front of Taylor protectively, Rukia beside him. "Who are you?" he asked, his voice half a growl.

***"I'm Uryuu Ishida. Quincy." Ichigo heard Taylor's sharp intake of breath behind him. "And I hate Soul Reapers."

"What did you say?"

"In other words, Ichigo Kurosaki, I'm saying I hate you."***

…

The next day Ichigo tried to catch the Uryuu kid from the night before as their last class let out, but he disappeared. He then tried to catch Taylor and talk to her about what happened, but she was already on her way out the door with Rukia.

Ichigo followed them, but became caught in the crowd of students looking at their midterm grades in the hallway. Ichigo spotted Taylor and Rukia down at the end of the hallway about to turn the corner. Taylor caught his eye and waved to him before she disappeared too.

Ichigo sighed. He was worried and it made him anxious, his stomach churning uncomfortably whenever her thought of her. But Taylor kept insisting that nothing was wrong. It bothered him too that Taylor didn't seem to trust him enough to tell him.

Ichigo turned away and caught sight of the grade postings. At the top in the number one spot was Uryuu Ishida. Ichigo's scowled deepened. What the hell had he been playing at the night before?

"Oh! You know Uryuu?" Ichigo jumped a bit as Orihime seemingly materialized next to him. Apparently Ichigo had said the bastard's name out loud.

"Not really…" Ichigo grumbled. "Do you know him?"

"Uh-huh!" Orihime replied cheerfully. "We're in the handicrafts club together!"

Ichigo stared at her dumbly. "The handicrafts club?"

"Yea! Come on I'll show you!"

…

Rukia and I arrive outside the Urahara shop to see Jinta and Ururu fighting in the yard. Tessai appears and lifts Jinta up into the air to stop him from bullying Ururu. Impatient Rukia steps forward and kicks Tessai in the ass. Not a smart move.

Rukia hisses and collapses, grabbing at her foot. Tessai, completely unfazed, turns and spots us. "Ms. Smithson good afternoon. And Ms. Kuchiki too. What can we do for you?"

"We want to see Kisuke…" Rukia grumbles. She stands and hobbles after Tessai as he leads the way inside. I sigh. This should be interesting.

As soon as Urahara catches sight of us he perks up. "Ah Taylor you've brought Ms. Kuchiki today! Tell me what can I-!" Urahara is cut off as Rukia throws her Soul Pager at him, catching him in the chin.

"I don't have time for that today Urahara. I don't know how many times I've called you and you won't answer!"

"Ah I'm sorry," Urahara replies his apologetic tone sounding distinctly disingenuous. "We've been rather busy lately."

"Whatever," Rukia scoffs. "Anyways, we've got some questions about what's been happening recently and I'm pretty sure you can answer them."

"I see. Do tell." Urahara's expression turns serious. He looks up, his gaze passing Rukia and his eyes locking with mine. I harden my expression. Oh yes. There are definitely some questions that I want to ask him.

**Author's Note:**

_Ta-da! Chapter 11! As I said my chapters are going to be shorter from now so they'll be more manageable. This one is like half the length of Chapter 10._

_Anyways this chapter is kind of a segue into the next one, which is gonna have some really important stuff in it. The next few chapters will have less romance and will reveal more about Taylor too. Also I'll be writing less from the points of view of Ichigo and the other characters, as we get farther along because I'm assuming you already know what happens with them. Pretty much I'm not going to try to rewrite the entire Bleach plot and what I write will have to do with Taylor._

_Also I'm sure you've noticed that the scenes that occur in canon are not a play-by-play of what actually happens. This is again so I don't bore you by writing out the plot and because it's a hell of a lot easier this way. I'm essentially paraphrasing everything that happens because that's how this story is set up so hopefully no one will accuse me of plagiarizing._

_That being said when I do quote things directly- which I will try to keep to a minimum- I will cite it. There are three instances of that in this chapter as follows:_

_*English language Vol. 4, Ch. 34, by Viz_

_**English language Vol. 4, Ch. 34, by Viz_

_All dialogue between the ***s English language Vol. 5, Ch. 35, by Viz_

_Yes I know the asterisks are annoying, but I'm pretty sure that I can't do footnotes on here and in text citations are even more annoying. And I can't find it in myself to not cite the direct quotes (curse you grad school!). _

_Reviews! Thank you bored411, metsfan101, zipscool, and HichiShirosaki! You're all awesome! And please review if you liked the story or have any ideas for how I can improve it!_

_I should get another chapter or two out at least over winter break. Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year until then!_

_Thanks for reading! _

_**imagination junkie**_


	12. Memories or The Beginning of the End, 2

**Disclaimer:** _I do not own Bleach or anyone or anything from Bleach. It's as simple as that. Everything else, however, is mine. :D _

**Chapter 12: Memories or The Beginning of the End, part 2**

I sit down next to Urahara as Rukia begins to question him about Quincies. I definitely have things that I want to ask him, but the Quincy mystery seems more pressing. And I don't really want anyone else around when I do talk to Urahara.

Tessai slips in and mentions that he hasn't heard the word 'Quincy' in 200 years and Urahara launches into his explanation. I watch Rukia carefully as he talks and she seems surprised. Clearly she has never heard this history before. I haven't heard it either, but it all seems very familiar. It disturbs me that I don't know why.

Urahara explains who the Quincies were and what they did. And then he says that the Quincies were destroyed. I stiffen as he explains that the Soul Reapers annihilated them in order to preserve balance in the universe. It makes sense, of course it does. Urahara explained to me a while ago the vital role that Soul Reapers play in maintaining the balance of souls between the World of the Living and the Soul Society.

But…but… The images of flashing steel and crimson blood play out again before my eyes. Just because I understand why it happened doesn't explain why I have memories of it! My hands clench tightly into fists and I begin to tremble. These memories…I don't want to see any more of these horrible memories!

My reverie is broken by the sound of Rukia's Soul Pager beeping. As I come back to myself I notice the presence of Hollows emerging. To my dismay there is not one, but several, and I can sense the presences of many more that will emerge soon. My trepidation growing I glance over at Urahara and see that he has noticed as well.

"The message is gone? So soon?"* Rukia seems puzzled. As she goes to put the Soul Pager back into her pocket it starts beeping again. The beeping stops again quickly and then starts up again, this time constant and insistent. Rukia quickly becomes agitated.

I'm only half paying attention, however. I'm trembling again, but this time it's because of fear. The number of Hollows that I'm sensing is ridiculous. I can sense Ichigo's spiritual pressure and that guy, Uryuu's, as they fight but there are just too many Hollows. Someone is going to get hurt, I realize, my dread suffocating me. A cold sweat trickles down the back of my neck.

Rukia has run outside and is now shouting something about the sky. She then disappears yelling that she's going to find Ichigo. I rise, but I'm not really paying attention to what I'm doing as my senses are overwhelmed by the presence of the Hollows. I reach the edge of the shop's porch and my stomach lurches with horror, a chill running down my spine. Cracks have appeared in the fabric of reality that is the sky. I only have a vague idea of what this means, but I'm certain that it's very, _very _bad.

As I pull my gikongan from my pocket I turn back to Urahara. He meets my eye steadily, an air of resignation about him. "Clearly we can't talk right now," I begin, my voice somehow remaining even. "But once this is all over we need to have a nice long talk about why I have memories of things that happened 200 years ago."

Urahara inclines his head in acceptance and I turn away. Swallowing the gikongan my soul leaps from my body and I draw my zanpakuto to enter the fray.

…

As I run I hack and slash, cutting down Hollows left and right. However, for every one I cut down and two more appear in its place, their numbers seemingly endless. Of course it doesn't help that I'm expanding my spiritual pressure as much as I can in an attempt to attract them and keep them from hurting innocent people.

Distantly I can feel Ichigo's massive spiritual pressure moving towards his house, undoubtedly to make sure his family is safe. I can also feel Uryuu's more subtle pressure, but it is worrying that he seems to slowly be weakening. What the hell happened to have this many Hollows here? I've got the sneaking suspicion that it has to do with the two of them.

I seem to have found a break in the Hollows and I begin to run as fast as I can, heading towards Ichigo. I come to a screeching halt as an unfamiliar spiritual pressure suddenly spikes. Frowning I close my eyes. There is something familiar about it, but I don't know whose it is. It feels human, like Uryuu's. I am just about to set off again when another unfamiliar pressure spikes. This one is even more familiar and it is also human.

My death sense twinges again, distracting me. I look up and my stomach lurches. The cracks in the sky are beginning to converge on one point and many Hollows are beginning to surround it. Fear burns strong in my gut as I look at the enormous crack. This is really bad, I know it is, but I can't explain why I know it. What the hell is going on? I begin to run again, heading towards Ichigo. The urge to hurry is strong.

It's not long before I get there. Ichigo's spiritual pressure has joined Uryuu's. I pass Ichigo's body lying prostrate on the ground and groaning. Up a staircase and I'm standing next to Rukia. I'm frozen, just as she is, by the sight before me.

"Taylor!" she exclaims surprised.

"What's going on?" I ask her.

Rukia turns back to the scene before her, her voice hard. "It seems that Uryuu challenged Ichigo to a contest to see who could kill the most Hollows."

"Is he insane?" I interrupt, instantly incensed by Uryuu's recklessness.

"It seems that he wants to prove that Quincies are superior to Soul Reapers."

"Idiot…" I growl, turning back to watch as Ichigo and Uryuu fight back-to-back. They're in trouble though as they are surrounded by a ring of countless Hollows. Growling curses under my breath I leap forward.

…

Ichigo and Uryuu were fighting hard and while they were keeping the Hollows at bay it was quickly becoming clear that they were fighting a losing battle. Ichigo panted hard, finding it harder and harder for him to catch his breath after each attack. Uryuu silently cursed as blood dripped from the fingers of the hand he used to draw his bow. He was getting tired.

A sudden eruption of growling and snarling to the side drew Ichigo's and Uryuu's attention. The source of the disturbance quickly became clear as sunlight glinted off steel. Taylor was carving a path through the Hollow's towards them, her bright hair fanning out behind her in a golden wave.

Taylor cut down the last Hollow between her and the center of the circle and landed with easy grace. Ichigo was momentarily stunned. That had been…amazing. And he couldn't help thinking, as he struggled to pull himself out of his daze, she was beautiful. She was rather…distracting. Uryuu was surprised as well. She was just as reckless as Ichigo, charging into the middle of a bunch of Hollows like that. Honestly wouldn't it have been better to stay outside and help them from there?

Uryuu never got the chance to question Taylor about her motivations as she took two quick strides to cover the space between them, pulled back her fist, and punched him square in the jaw with enforce to send him stumbling backwards.

"Taylor!" Ichigo exclaimed, taken aback again.

"What?" she asked briskly, turning to him. "Don't tell me you didn't want to do that too."

Ichigo found himself grinning. He knew there was a reason why he liked her.

"What the hell was that for!" Uryuu shouted, clearly not amused.

"For being an idiot!" Taylor turned to Uryuu now, her expression livid. "Was satisfying your damn ego really more important than the lives of the people in this town?"

Uryuu sighed irritably and adjusted his glasses. "As I was telling Ichigo I'm not doing this because of some grudge because of what happened to the Quincies. I'm doing this because Soul Reapers—!"

"It doesn't matter what your reasons are!" Taylor interrupted. "You're smart aren't you? Then you should be using that knowledge and your powers to help save people not put them in danger! I'm sure you felt those other people fighting! Did you really think that you could bring this many Hollows to Karakura and no one would get hurt?" Taylor waved her arms wide, her expansive gesture taking in all the Hollows around them.

Uryuu was momentarily speechless. Sure Ichigo had berated him for his plan, and if he was honest with himself he now agreed that it had been a horrible idea. Not only that must she must have sensed the spiritual pressures of Orihime and Chad earlier. She kept surprising him, Uryuu admitted to himself ruefully.

As Ichigo listened to Taylor's words something akin to pride welled up within his affection for her. Her words, he realized, were very much like what he had said to her the night her mother had nearly died. She had learned this from him, he thought a little dazed. Despite the horrible situation they were in a little ball of happiness burned brightly within him.

"I'll admit it was a stupid idea alright?" Uryuu said lowly. "But can we discuss this later? We've got rather more important things to deal with right now."

Taylor watched him for a moment with her eyebrow raised, as if carefully considering him, and then she grinned. "Fair eno—…"

Taylor's voice died in the middle of her sentence. Uryuu hadn't noticed as he had turned back around to face the Hollows. Ichigo did, however. "Taylor?" he asked, his voice filled with concern.

She didn't reply. Her eyes had gone wide and strangely blank, like they did when she was sensing Hollows. Suddenly she blinked, but she still didn't respond. Instead she turned, eyes wide with fear and tracks of sweat running down her face. "Taylor?" Ichigo questioned again, concern turning to worry and tightening in his chest.

"The Hollows are acting strange. They're looking up at the sky…as if they're praying…"** Uryuu's voice was contemplative.

That was when an almighty cracking noise echoed around them. Ichigo and Uryuu both spun towards the sound and that was when Ichigo realized that was where Taylor was looking. All three gaped as one ghostly white hand, and then another, appeared from a crack in the sky. Like a crack that went into the sky. It was like the fabric of reality had been broken, Ichigo thought aghast. Slowly the hands pulled the crack wider and an enormous face appeared, its nose ridiculously long and pointed and its eyes glowing yellow.

"I-is that a Hollow?" Ichigo shouted, as a thrill of fear unlike any he had felt before shot through him.

"How the hell should I know?" Uryuu shot back, unable to keep the shudder out of his voice.

"Menos Grande." Ichigo and Uryuu both turned towards Taylor.

"What?" Ichigo prompted her.

"It's a Menos Grande." Ichigo frowned. He had no idea what that meant. But the look on Taylor's face alarmed him. Pure, unadulterated terror was in every line of her expression. She hadn't even looked like that the night her mother was attacked.

"How do you know that?" Uryuu asked, rounding on her.

Taylor turned terrified eyes to him. "I don't know."

…

Uryuu blinks at me confused for a moment before Ichigo shouts at him and they begin to argue. I can't draw my eyes away from the massive Hollow emerging in front of us. The fact that I don't know the reason why I know what it is…it's almost as horrifying as the Menos itself.

I'm drawn out of my musings and Ichigo's and Uryuu's argument is interrupted by the sound of gunfire and the Hollows around us falling. We all turn to see a little dark-haired girl holding a massive object that is smoking from one end.

"Ururu?" I ask, taken aback.

She nods her head to me. "Hello."

"Helloooo! We thought you might need some help!" This cheerful call comes from Urahara who is waving his open fan, followed by Jinta and Tessai.

"Mr. Hat-and-Clogs?" Ichigo questions.

I frown, suspicious. Urahara is up to something, which usually means nothing good.

"Correct!" Urahara exclaims, snapping his fan shut. Around him Jinta, Ururu, and Tessai begin to fight quickly taking out the Hollows. Ichigo and Uryuu seem stunned.

"Anyways, why don't you let us take care of the Hollows here? I'll leave him," Urahara points back over his shoulder towards the Menos that is slowly widening the crack and coming through, "to you guys!"

What the hell is he playing at? Ichigo and Uryuu merely gape at Urahara as I open my mouth to protest. However, before I can even begin to make a sound the edges of my vision become fuzzy and everything starts to spin. No! Not now! Why now?

My vision clears again to reveal an entirely different scene. I'm standing in a hallway and I'm holding several books that appear to be textbooks in my arms. To my right stands the younger Urahara. He is talking to a pretty woman who has dark skin and purple hair to my left. Suddenly the woman turns away gives us a wave and a cheeky smile, and literally disappears from sight. The slight wind that rustles my hair is the only evidence of her passing.

Could this memory be from the Spirit Academy that trains Soul Reapers Urahara told me about? Who was that woman? She seems familiar… And why the hell did have to get one of my "visions" now?

Before I can ponder my questions any further or get more frustrated I blink and I'm suddenly back to myself. In front of me Ichigo has gone charging towards the Menos Grande, Uryuu hot on his heels.

"Ichigo, wait!" I shout. I go to take a step so that I can stop them and find that I'm frozen. What the hell? I try to yell again only to find that my mouth is just as frozen as the rest of me. This is…kido? Damn it!

Gathering all my spiritual energy around me I try and fight the kido spell. It's strong though and there is little that I can do. There's only one person that I know that could have cast this level of kido and if he's casting kido on me it's probably a bad thing.

I manage to turn my head a bit and part my lips just enough to hiss, "You…What…the hell…are you doing?"

Urahara who has appeared next to me simply smiles. "I'm afraid that I cannot allow to interfere this time."

"You…bastard! They…can't handle…the Menos…They're going…to die!" I practically throw the last two words at him.

"Taylor!" Urahara exclaims in mock surprise. "Do you really have so little faith?" I glower at him and he drops the act. "This battle is very important." He tells me, serious now. "For Ichigo and for…others."

I narrow my eyes at him and fighting the kido I manage to turn some more. Behind me I can see Rukia also frozen in a kido spell her eyes wide with anxiety. I look to my left and see with a start faces in the window of a nearby building that I recognize. One is Ichigo's friend called Chad and the other is Orihime. And by the looks on their faces they can see what's going.

I turn, slowly, back to Urahara. "What…are you…playing at?"

The small smirk that he was wearing fades. "You'll see."

Fighting the urge to scream in frustration I face forward again to watch Ichigo. My heart is pounding frantically in my chest from anger at Urahara and fear for Ichigo. I watch as Ichigo charges towards the Menos and slashes its leg only to be thrown back as it takes another step forward. He lands hard.

"Ichigo!" I try to scream, fighting against the kido as hard as I can. But, it's useless. There's nothing I can do. Damn it! Damn Urahara! My heart is beating in my throat as Ichigo finally stands again.

As I watch Ichigo and Uryuu I'm torn between the desire to laugh and the need to cry. Uryuu comes up with the ridiculous plan of tying Ichigo's zanapkuto to his head in an effort to boost his bow's power. And all the while neither of them have any idea how much danger they're in. I continue to struggle against Urahara's kido despite knowing that it's useless, because I can't not do anything.

Suddenly there is a shift in the atmosphere and the Menos Grande's spiritual pressure begins to rise. Cold dread collects in my gut as a small sphere of red energy begins to form in front of the Menos's mouth, slowly growing. A cero? It's going to fire a cero? Here?

"Ichigo! Come back you idiot!" Uryuu's shout draws my attention back to the ground and my heart jumps into my throat like it's trying to exit through my mouth. Ichigo has reclaimed his sword and is charging towards the Menos.

"Ichi…go!" I try to scream, but it comes out as barely more than a whisper. I struggle as hard as I can against the kido.

"I'd stop fighting it so much if I were you. You're going to hurt yourself," Urahara comments mildly. I turn my harshest glare on him. Urahara merely shrugs. "Just watch," he tells me.

I don't want to watch. I don't want to see someone who has come to be so important to me die in front of my eyes while I do nothing. But like a train wreck it's impossible to look away.

The Menos fires its cero. Ichigo pauses in his charge and raises his zanpakuto. I close my eyes against the glare, glad that I won't have to see Ichigo get annihilated. But…something's wrong. I open my eyes as a high-pitched keening noise echoes around me. If I wasn't frozen solid my jaw would have dropped. Ichigo, miraculously, stands there holding off the Hollow's cero with his sword braced against his wrist.

I watch, too stunned to try and speak or even think, as Ichigo fights the cero. I can feel his spiritual pressure building, pushing back against the Menos's and slowly growing. Finally it seems to hit a breaking point. Ichigo lifts his zanpakuto and swings it, the massive amount of spiritual pressure that he has built up sending a long cut all the way up the Menos Grande's body.

With a mighty howl that whips up the wind all around me the Menos Grande retreats pulling the fabric of reality back around itself. And suddenly the sky is smooth again with nothing but a small crack to hint at what has happened here. Everything is still for a moment and then Ichigo turns, holds his hand up with his fingers in a 'V', and shouts, "_**VICTORY!**_"***.

I'm in utter disbelief for a moment. Ichigo did it. He really did it! He made a Menos Grande retreat all on his own. Relief colors my disbelief and I feel the urge to sit down. To my surprise I can and I fall more than sit as I realize the kido has been released. I look up at Urahara and he gives me a kind of 'I-told-you-so' smile. I grimace at him in return and look back towards Ichigo.

Uryuu has approached him and they are talking when Ichigo suddenly collapses. I'm on my feet running to him before I even have time to think.

"Ichigo!" I skid to a stop next to him and crouch down, barely able to contain my anxiety.

He looks up at me, a cocky grin on his face. There's blood oozing down his forehead. "I'm pretty cool, huh?"

Squashing the urge to punch him I manage a weak smile in return. "I'd be lying if I said that wasn't amazing," I tell him, unable to keep the warmth out of my voice. "But you're still an idiot." Even there my disapproval is weak. Ichigo's smile softens at my words and a tender look in his eyes appears that makes my heart thunder in my chest.

"Come on," I say to cover my sudden feeling of bashfulness. "Let's get out of here." I reach down to grab Ichigo's arm and help him up when his spiritual pressure abruptly explodes, sending me flying backwards head-over-heels.

I come to a stop about ten feet and when my head finally stops spinning I see Ichigo's spiritual pressure going completely out of control, his zanpakuto losing its shape and writhing wildly in his hand.

"Ichigo!" I scream and stand. Before I can do anything else, however, Uryuu steps forward. As soon as he gets within the range of Ichigo's spiritual pressure his bow bursts into existence in his right hand lager than ever. Uryuu stares at it for a moment, confused, and then begins to fire arrows into the sky.

With each arrow Uryuu fires Ichigo's spiritual pressure calms. Finally Uryuu collapses to his knees and his bow disappears, Ichigo's spiritual pressure finally under control again. I heave a sight of relief. It's over.

…

I follow Urahara and the others back to the shop afterwards: my body is there after all. When we get back Urahara leads me to the dining and shuts the door behind us. I'm both glad and nervous that I can finally talk to him alone.

"So," he begins, sitting down and indicating that I should do the same. "What do _you_ want to ask me?"

I pause once I'm settled. Where do I even start? Well sitting here and twiddling my thumbs sure as hell isn't going to get me anywhere. I take a deep breath. "Well…for as long as I can remember I've been able to sense ghosts. And I have- well I had- these dreams," I begin, talking quickly so that I won't lose my nerve before I'm finished. "For a long time it was like I was watching an old movie. But they've gotten stronger, clearer, since I moved here and I started seeing ghosts. The dreams were…weird. I would see Soul Reapers and a place that I guess is the Soul Society."

I pause here and lower my gaze, unable to work up the nerve to maintain eye contact with Urahara. "I saw you. But, like, a younger version of you. And then…the night of the Spirit Hunter filming…I had a waking dream…some kind of vision." I close my eyes as I remember.

"We were on the roof fighting the Hollow and then my vision went funny and it was like one of my dreams except was in it. I was living it. And it was…so clear. Since then I haven't had any more dreams, but I keep getting the visions. I had one today after the Menos arrived and yesterday too…"

I look up at Urahara now. Speaking to him has given me strength and I no longer feel nervous. "I want to know why. Why do I have memories of things that I couldn't possibly have experienced? Why have I seen a younger version of you, why have I seen myself killing Quincies? Where did my power and these memories come from?" My last question is half shout and half plea.

Urahara looks at me for a long moment his expression impenetrable. Then he lets out a long, low, weary sigh as though he has known that this moment has been coming for a long time. He removes his hat, exposing his sandy blonde hair, and lays it on the table.

"Taylor," he begins. "What I'm about to tell you is nothing more than supposition since I was not there I cannot say exactly what happened. However, my theories are usually correct," he adds with a small chuckle. His expression remains serious, however.

"Tell me…do you know why I was expelled from the Soul Society?" There is a cold glint in Urahara's eye that makes me shiver. I shake my head.

"I see…Well a long time ago, about 100 years ago or so now, there was an…incident. Myself, Tessai, a woman named Yoruichi, and nine others were expelled from the Soul Society. Tessai and I were accused of conducting horrible experiments, the nine were the victims of those experiments, and Yoruichi was banished for helping us all escape. Since then we have all been living in the World of the Living. I have been looking for a way to reverse the effects of those experiments and the nine, now eight, have been doing their best to cope until I can come up with a solution."

My eyebrows rise. Nine, now eight? What does that mean? The corner of Urahara's mouth curves upward in a smirk as he notices my interest. "It's been a while," he continues, "But the last that I heard from them one of their number had left. It seems that she could no longer handle the conditions created by the experiment. This is where my knowledge breaks down." I sit up straighter, eager now to hear what Urahara has to say. Finally, _finally_, I'm going to get some answers.

"It is my guess that sometime when you very young that particular person ran into you. For some reason, and I honestly can't say why, she decided to give her powers, her life force itself to you. That woman was once a Soul Reaper and so some of her abilities managed to live on inside you, such as the ability to sense spirits. That is also why that sword I gave you became a Soul Reaper's zanpakuto. The dreams, I suspect, were her memories leaking through as her abilities have done. She has, in a sense, placed her essence in you." I nod to myself. This makes sense….sort of.

"As for everything growing stronger since you came here…well, as I'm sure you know Ichigo's spiritual pressure leaks from him all the time. It has also gotten significantly stronger since Rukia Kuchiki gave him her powers and made him a Soul Reaper. You were exposed to Ichigo's spiritual pressure when you moved here and your own spiritual pressure reacted, becoming stronger. It is the same thing that happened to your friends Chad and Orihime who have had their latent spiritual powers unlocked. As Ichigo has gotten stronger so have you, both because of his growth and your training with me. This is probably what has caused those memories to move from your dreams into a state where you see them when you are awake."

I stare at him waiting for more. Urahara simply smiles at me. "And that," he says, picking up his hat again and placing it on his head. "Is that." I stare at Urahara for a moment dumbfounded. And then…

"_Huh_? _What_? _But_!" I splutter, angry now, "That didn't explain anything! I've got even more question now!"

"Really? But I answered all your questions," Urahara replies, the picture of innocence.

"You! _You_!" I'm so irate now that I can't even form a coherent sentence. "Can't you at least tell me what her name was?"

"No." All traces of playfulness are now gone from Urahara's manner. Instantly I clam down and sit still. Though I'm still fuming I know better than to argue with Urahara when he's this serious. "You wouldn't understand the whole story if I told you right now anyways, and I have my reasons besides that. Things will work out for the best if you find out what happened on your own from her memories."

I frown at him. I really, _really_ don't like this. But there's nothing I can do. Still aggravated I stand to leave. I freeze in the doorway, however, at the sound of Urahara's voice. His lighter tone has returned. "Tomorrow's your birthday isn't it?"

I respond with a stiff nod without turning around. "Good. Well, happy early birthday. I think I'll give you the day off as your gift. But Taylor…" Urahara's voice has gotten serious again and I can't help but turn to look at him. "Don't stay out too late tomorrow."

I search Urahara's face for a long moment looking for something, anything that will clue me on what his cryptic warning means. As usual I find nothing. I respond with a lazy wave and "Yea, sure." I feel his gaze on my back all the way to the front door and it makes me uneasy.

**Author's Note:**

_Chapter 12! I must say I love this chapter. I thoroughly enjoyed writing and I hope you enjoyed reading it. Also the Word document for this story is now over a hundred pages, which is RIDICULOUS. It kinda blows my mind actually._

_Two more chapters and then we'll be in the Soul Society Arc and I'm pretty excited. The next couple of chapters are going to be awesome too, and hopefully you all won't guess what's coming. Also there is more dialogue in this chapter than in anything else I've ever written (I think) so please review and let me know what worked and what didn't (technique wise specifically)._

_Citations_

_*English language Vol. 5, Ch. 38, by Viz_

_**English language Vol. 6, Ch. 47, by Viz_

_***English language Vol. 6, Ch. 50, by Viz_

_Reviews! A big fat thanks to pay backs a bitch sucker, Shaybo27, bored411 (who reviews like every chapter because they're awesome!), and Shannyrox101!_

_To pay backs a bitch sucker…yes Taylor will be spending more time as a Soul Reaper soon and the reason Uryuu didn't include Taylor was because he was talking to Ichigo at the time._

_Thanks for reading! _

_**imagination junkie**_


	13. Happy Birthday to Me

**Disclaimer:** _I do not own Bleach or anyone or anything from Bleach. It's as simple as that. Everything else, however, is mine. :D _

**Chapter 13: Happy Birthday to Me**

The next day when I awaken my thoughts instantly go what I learned from Urahara the night before. I ponder his words as I get ready for school, as I walk to school, and all through my morning classes. I surface from my contemplations to say hello to my friends- Ichigo, Rukia, Orihime, Tatsuki, and the others- and then sink back into my own head again. There is also a brief ruckus when Uryuu shows up several hours late his arm bandaged and claiming that he fell down the stairs. It seems strange to me that our battle with the Menos Grande was only yesterday.

It's strange that my life has changed so much and so little since yesterday. That I've learned so much and yet so little. I know where my power comes from now, but I really don't know what it means. My powers were given to me by a former Soul Reaper, but I don't know her name or her motivations or why she was in the World of the Living in the first place.

I would love to go back to Urahara and demand that he tell me more, but I know it would be pointless. Urahara will only tell me what he thinks I should know and he's already done that. So instead I try to bring the memories up on purpose several times during the morning. It doesn't work. Apparently the memories don't respond when I'm actually trying to view them. When the bell finally rings for lunch I'm frustrated, tired, and just as confused as ever.

"Happy birthday Taylor!" I look up from my desk surprised to see all my female friends, except for Rukia, surrounding me. That's right, I think as my brain slowly catches up. Today is my birthday. I'm 15.

Usually my birthdays aren't a big deal. I honestly don't think that my mom remembers when my birthday is. I used to remind her when I was younger, but I rarely got presents or any other kind of recognition because she always spends our extra money on booze. And I usually don't get to know people well enough at school to tell them when my birthday is. So the fact that all these girls are here to wish me a happy birthday is unusual. It makes me feel very, very warm inside.

But…

"How did you know it was my birthday?" I ask unable to hide my puzzlement.

Orihime giggles. "I work in the office after school sometimes and I was curious so I went and looked at your file."

I raise an eyebrow at her. "Isn't that an invasion of privacy?"

"Awww! Don't be that way Taylor!" Orihime pouts. "It's your birthday so you should be happy! We're all going to have a picnic outside to celebrate and I made this awesome dessert especially! It's got chocolate and wasabi and red bean paste and…"

Everyone turns a bit green as Orihime goes on to describe her newest culinary creation. Oh Orihime. She is the sweetest, kindest girl I've ever met even if her taste is horrible. A strong feeling of friendship swells in my chest as I realize that all these people care about me. Moving to Karakura has been the best thing that's ever happened to me and I'm so grateful. Suddenly I find I can't help myself and I begin to laugh.

Orihime stops abruptly and everyone turns to stare at me, their expressions rather shocked. I manage to get my laughter under control, but I can't stop myself from smiling. "That sounds great Orihime."

Orihime beams back at me while everyone else stands there gawking. Tatsuki recovers first. "Well come on then," she says with her own grin. "Let's go celebrate!"

A cheer follows her words and everyone heads outside. I find myself tucked right into the middle of the group. I've finally got friends. Real friends. It's true that there are still a lot of things that I don't understand, but right now isn't the time to worry about them, I decide. Instead I'm going to savor every moment I have with my friends today and tomorrow I can start worrying again. I deserve this one day of peace right?

…

"Hey Rukia!" Tatsuki shouts. "Come eat with us!"

"Yeah! We're going to celebrate Taylor's birthday!" Orihime adds merrily.

Rukia starts and looks down from her perch up in a large tree in the schoolyard with surprise. She seems to hesitate for a moment and then jumps down to join us. I casually peek up at where Rukia had been staring and I catch a glimpse of bright orange hair on the roof. My heart gives a pleasant little leap at the sight and I quickly glance around hoping that no one has noticed.

"It's your birthday?" Rukia asks me, surprise coloring her tone. I nod, a bit embarrassed by all the attention but enjoying it all the same. "Happy birthday," she tells me sincerely, as herself and not her school persona.

"Thanks," I reply, the warm glow inside me growing so large that I'm certain my chest will burst. It makes me so happy that I've found such good friends.

We all take a seat beneath the tree that Rukia was sitting in and begin to eat, talking and laughing together. Our conversation swings about wildly, mainly due to Orihime's rather short attention span, until Mahana turns to Rukia and asks her matter-of-factly as if she was commenting about the weather, "Do you like Ichigo?"*

Rukia is so startled that she spits out her mouth full of juice. I find myself suddenly choking on my bite of plum. Mahana prompts Rukia again, but Michiru protests that Mahana is being tactless. Their argument quickly devolves as Chizuru joins in, declaring her love for Orihime.

I watch Rukia closely, but she just seems utterly confused by what's going. I let out a silent sight. Rukia can be so clueless sometimes.

Mahana finally turns her attention back to Rukia and demands an answer. I hate to admit it, but I'm just as intensely curious as everyone else as we wait to hear Rukia's answer. It's silly to think that Rukia might have feelings for Ichigo, I try and convince myself. I've seen them together a lot more than anyone at school and I know that their relationship is rather abusive, but friendly. But it's true that Rukia does live in his closet…jealousy suddenly burns in my chest as I think of all the things that could have happened between them and I would never know. I quash the emotion almost immediately, feeling ashamed.

"Ichigo is…just a friend!"** Rukia replies cheerily, but I can see her smile his forced. Everyone around me makes sounds of disappointment and I let out a breath that I hadn't realized I'd been holding.

Talk resumes again, this time with Orihime taking center stage as she describes some sort of strange love triangle. Things devolve again as Chizuru gets involved. I am still watching Rukia closely. She laughs along with everybody else, but I can tell by her eyes that her mind isn't really present. I feel bad now as I realize that I've been too wrapped up in my own thoughts today to notice that Rukia's been distracted too.

All my thoughts are blasted from my head, however, as Orihime turns to me and points. "You."

I blink at her in surprise. "Me?"

"Yes!" she exclaims clapping her hands together. "You like Ichigo right? So together we can team up and beat him!"

Everyone around me is silent, staring at me intensely. Even Rukia looks interested now. It's impossible for my face to remain blank under their scrutiny and it quickly turns red. My brain kicks into overdrive, trying to think of something to say while the rest of me panics. I am really _that _obvious? "W-what?" Yea, that was real brilliant.

They continue to watch me, Orihime expectantly, and everyone else thoughtfully. Finally Mahana speaks. "No way. I mean you, like, hate him don't you?"

"From what I've seen Taylor doesn't seem to get along with him very well…" Tatsuki adds, contemplatively. Orihime visibly deflates in disappointment and normal conversation resumes around me.

The sigh I let out this time is not silent. How I managed to dodge that bullet I have no idea. I suppose it's because Ichigo and I don't really hang out in school a lot. We definitely see each other a lot outside of school while working as Soul Reapers, but at school what little interaction we have is generally pretty formal.

I catch Rukia's eye and she gives me a knowing little smirk. It gives me a bit of a jolt, but when I think about it I suppose I don't really mind Rukia knowing the truth. I just don't want everyone else to know because I'm sure they'll tease me about it.

Lunch continues per usual after that and I find myself enjoying every minute of it.

…

Ichigo was about to walk out the gates of the school when he heard Rukia calling him. He turned and watched her run up and stop before him. "What's up?" he asked as she caught her breath.

Rukia stared at her feet for a moment before looking up at Ichigo. She opened her mouth as if to speak and then closed it again, turning her face back to the ground. Ichigo frowned, concerned. Hesitation wasn't like Rukia.

Finally Rukia looked up again, wearing a smile that Ichigo was certain was fake. "It's nothing," she said, something about the casualness of her tone sounding false. "I'll see you later." She walked past him and out the school gates.

Ichigo stared after Rukia, confused. What had that been about?

"Ichigo!" Ichigo felt his heart jump at the sound of his name in her voice. Taylor ran up to him and stopped, catching her breath just as Rukia had done.

"What's up?" Ichigo asked again, but this time it was he who had difficulty keeping his voice causal. It irritated him to no end that he couldn't seem to keep his cool around her and yet when she was around he found that he didn't really mind.

"Have you seen Rukia?"

"Yea, she just left."

"Damn it," Taylor muttered under her breath. She walked around Ichigo and looked down the sidewalk, but Rukia was already out of sight.

"Why were you looking for her?" Ichigo asked, his curiosity getting the better of him.

Taylor's brow furrowed in a way that Ichigo found inexplicably cute. "I'm kinda worried about her actually. She's been acting kind of weird today…"

"Yea…" Ichigo didn't say that Taylor had been acting a bit out it herself. Then Ichigo suddenly started, resisting the urge to slap his forehead. "Happy birthday, by the way."

Taylor turned to him, her cheeks a bit flushed and her eyes surprised. "Thanks," Taylor said softly. "How did you find out?"

"Orihime told me."

"I see."

They stood there awkwardly for a moment. Ichigo shifted from foot to foot trying to find something to say, while Taylor stood staring at her feet and blushing. "Don't you have training or something?" Ichigo asked suddenly, instantly regretting it. What if she thought that he didn't want to be around her?

"I don't have it today," Taylor said as if she had just remembered. "Urahara gave me the day off because it's my birthday."

"Cool," Ichigo replied. And by unspoken consent they began to walk home together. It wasn't really planned or anything. Actually they could have walked to together everyday, except that Taylor's training took her in the opposite direction. The paths towards their respective homes actually ran together for a while. Ichigo found himself silently cursing Taylor's daily training sessions.

Ichigo and Taylor made small talk for a bit and then lapsed into comfortable silence. It was a beautiful early summer afternoon. The sun was warm, but the breeze coming of the river was cooling. Ichigo was feeling quite blissful actually with Taylor on one side and the river on the other.

Finally they came to the place where they would have to part ways. Ichigo and Taylor turned to face each other and both shifted awkwardly, neither sure what to say but not wanting to just say goodbye. Finally Taylor turned like she was going to leave and Ichigo blurted out the first thing that came to mind just to get her to stay with him a little longer.

"You know…there's a-a fireworks festival on August 1 and a bunch of us get together and go every year…" Ichigo trailed off unsure of where to go from there. Taylor watched him expectantly and it was impossible to keep the heat from his face. There was not point stopping now was there? Ichigo plunged recklessly on, "And I was wondering…I thought maybe you'd like to go…I mean it's a whole big group and…"

Ichigo nerves reduced him to incoherent mumbling at this point. He didn't feel quite as bad, however, as Taylor was turning a shade of bright red that probably matched his own.

"Yes." Taylor suddenly blurted out effectively silencing Ichigo. "Yes, I'll go to the fireworks festival with you," she added a bit breathlessly.

Ichigo's chest filled with exhilaration and his face spilt into a wide, silly grin, but he didn't care. She had said yes. She had said yes to going to the fireworks festival with _him_. "Great," Ichigo replied, buoyed by joy. "I'll see you at school tomorrow then."

"Yep," Taylor said, apparently too embarrassed to make eye contact. They both turned away and Ichigo headed home in a haze of happiness.

…

As I walk home I have to fight the urge to sing or dance. Today has easily been my best birthday ever and quite possibly the best day of my life. I got to celebrate with friends, real friends, and then Ichigo asked me out. On a date. Well something like a date anyways. He did say that there would be a bunch of other people going to the fireworks festival too, but Ichigo had asked me to go with _him_.

I'm absolutely certain that nothing can ruin my good mood today, especially since I get the day off from training, until I open the door of the apartment I share with my mother and see boxes everywhere. Alarm hits me like a sledgehammer and it's a fight to not close the door and open it again to make sure I'm not seeing things. No, there really are boxes everywhere and this can only mean one thing. My mom is packing.

My insides twist painfully as I drop my bag by the door, but I'm unable to go inside any further. This can't be happening. I stare dumbfounded at the boxes. Oh _please_ tell me this isn't happening!

My mom comes around a stack of boxes and blinks at me clearly surprised I'm home so early. She recovers quickly and smiles. I don't fail to notice the bottle of beer in one hand as she puts the handful of books that the other holds into a box. If she isn't already drunk she's undoubtedly on her way. "Great, you're home early. Go ahead and start packing your room up ok? We're leaving tomorrow."

I knew this of course. Packing in my house only means one thing- we're moving again- but it still feels like my mother has stabbed a very large knife through my chest. "Why?" I manage to ask, but it's a struggle because it feels like I'm suffocating.

"Why?" my mother asks, amusement in her tone as she gives me a look that clearly says I'm being stupid. "Because I got fired that's why."

Of course. Just like every other time. My mom gets fired or has a falling out with a boyfriend and it's time to move on.

"No."

My mom freezes her face shocked this time. "What did you say?"

"I said no. I don't want to leave." I reply, my voice hard. It's difficult to keep it steady though. I'm so…angry. I've never been so angry with my mother before in my life. Usually when it's time to move I don't protest because I don't have a reason to. Usually I don't make any friends at school and therefore I could care less about leaving everything behind and starting over somewhere new.

But not this time. I actually have a life here. There are my Soul Reaper duties which, while often annoying, have become important to me. There are all my wonderful friends at school. And of course there's Ichigo. My growing feelings for him, the possibility of a real romance after he asked me out this afternoon. My heart twists even more painfully in my chest at the thought of having to leave town and never see him again.

My mother is glaring at me now, her irritation clear on her face. "That's too bad," she snaps at me. "But we're leaving. Now go pack your things. I want to get an early start tomorrow and I'm going to be really pissed if I have to wait for you to finish packing." She takes a swig from the beer bottle.

I'm pretty sure that's what makes my snap, because the next thing I know I'm screaming at her. "No! I'm not going to pack! I like it here and I'm not leaving!"

My mother is screaming back at me. "How dare you say that to me! Stop being so ungrateful! I do everything I can to support you and this how you react! So selfish!"

"Me? _Me? _I'm the selfish one? You're the one who spends all our money on booze and feels the need to move every time you screw up. The one who's selfish here is you!"

"I've had enough!" my mother screams, her face red with anger. "We're leaving tomorrow and that's that. Go pack! Now! And stop thinking only of yourself!"

"Oh, yeah," I yell back, voice taking on a sarcastic edge. "I think only of myself. I bet you don't even remember what day it is today. Well you know what? Screw you! I'm not packing and I'm not leaving tomorrow!" I turn around and put my shoes on.

There is the sound of breaking glass behind me and I know my mom has thrown her beer bottle to the floor. As I wrench the door open her hand closes around my wrist. "You're not going anywhere you ungrateful little bitch!" she screeches trying to yank me back from the door, but the alcohol has messed with her balance.

I tear my wrist from her grasp. "_I hate you!_" I snarl back at her and then I'm out the door, slamming it in her face.

…

My best day ever has suddenly become my worst. I should've known that things couldn't last. They never do. I spend a long time walking around Karakura, anger fueling me on, wallowing in my misery. Finally the anger dissipates, leaving me with a kind of hollow ache and tears begin to come.

I hate this. Things were finally, _finally_ going well and then my mom has to get all selfish and decide that we need to leave again. She doesn't care about how I feel or what I think. It's so unfair that it makes me want to strangle her. I have no idea what I'm going to do, but I sure as hell don't want to leave.

I rise from the park bench I have been sitting on once the tears are finally gone. I have no idea how late it is, but I know I've been out for hours. I begin to walk again. I don't know where I'm going, but it's definitely not home. Not yet anyways. I'm not ready to face my mother.

I flinch as I suddenly I feel Ichigo's spiritual pressure spike, its power easily as high as it was yesterday when he chased the Menos off. That's when I notice Rukia's spiritual pressure with Ichigo's and two others I don't recognize. They feel like Soul Reapers, which can mean nothing good. I feel stupid that I've been so wrapped up in my own unhappiness that I haven't noticed them until now. I begin to run feeling Ichigo's spiritual pressure clash with one of the strangers. Dread slowly seeps into my heart and I'm glad they're relatively close by.

I reach the base of a hill a short time later and am startled to hear someone call my name from the other side of the street. I run over and am horrified to find Uryuu lying on the sidewalk, blood oozing from a wound in his side. "Uryuu! What happened?" Damn it! I didn't notice him either what with all the other spiritual pressures and his being so subtle. Is there anything that isn't going to go wrong today?

"There's two Soul Reapers here," Uryuu replies through tight lips, his face contorted in pain. "They're trying to take Rukia back. You've got to help Ichigo."

"But what about you?" I yell, flustered and frustrated that I've been so out of it up until now and therefore have let all of this happen without doing anything.

"Don't worry about me!" he yells, the pain clearly shortening his patience. "This injury won't kill me but Ichigo's in over his head! If you don't-!"

Uryuu stops as a different spiritual pressure flares. This one is so incredibly strong it's almost unreal. They're so close now, just up the hill. The new spiritual pressure engages with Ichigo's briefly and then swallows his completely. Panic floods every nerve in my body.

"Hurry Taylor!" Uryuu yells, but I'm not going to argue with him anymore. I turn and sprint up the hill both urging my legs to move faster and fearing what I'll see once I reach the top.

Time seems to slow as I reach the crest of the hill and I take in the scene before me. A Soul Reaper with vibrant red hair pulled back into a ponytail holds Rukia against a light pole. She struggles against his grasp, screaming to be allowed to go to Ichigo. Dried blood coats the redhead's face. Another Soul Reaper, with black hair and a haughty air, stands with his back to me his sword drawn and dripping blood. And behind him, closest to me, Ichigo lays completely still in a growing pool of his own blood. I can't feel his spiritual pressure anymore.

The world has stopped. Even as my eyes widen, taking in as much of what I'm seeing as possible, something inside me screams that it must be an illusion, a dream, something. This can't be real…_this can't be real!_

"_**ICHIGO!**_" 

**Author's Note:**

_How about that for a cliffhanger huh? Anyways here's Chapter 13. Things are really getting exciting now! And just one more chapter until the Soul Society Arc. I enjoyed writing this chapter and I can't wait to get to the next one!_

_So I'm taking this semester off from grad school to do another training program (that will hopefully get me a job). It doesn't start until the end of February though so my updates should be pretty regular until then._

_Citations_

*English language version, Vol. 6, Ch. 52, by Viz

**English language version, Vol 6, Ch. 52, by Viz

_So this time around I only got three reviews…I guess it's because the chapter was so awesome that it just blew everyone's mind right? I'm just kidding but in all seriousness it does kind of worry me. I can't be sure whether fewer reviews means that more people liked it or more people didn't like it. I certainly hope that it's the former._

_Anyways please review whether you liked it or hated it. Especially if you hated it. We're really getting into the story now and if there's something that isn't working I'd really like to know so I can work on fixing it. _

_THANK YOU to my three reviewers (who have all reviewed before!) Shannyrox101, Shaybo27, and bored411._

_Shortest author's note ever? Potentially. _

_Thanks for reading! _

_**imagination junkie**_


	14. For Whom the Bell Tolls

**Disclaimer:** _I do not own Bleach or anyone or anything from Bleach. It's as simple as that. Everything else, however, is mine. :D _

**Chapter 14: For Whom the Bell Tolls**

I am running. There are tears flowing freely down my face and my breath comes in ragged sobs. I skid to a stop next to Ichigo's body and collapse onto my knees, his blood splashing as my knees make contact with the pavement.

The whirl of emotions within in me is too much. I don't know what to do, I don't know what to think. Please don't be dead. _Please don't be dead_. It's my only conscious thought and it repeats over and over again in my head like a prayer. I want to reach out and shake Ichigo until he jumps up and yells at me to stop. But I don't because I don't know if it's the right thing to do or not.

I hear someone screaming his name again and again. "Ichigo! Ichigo!" It's me. It's me that's screaming his name, desperation making my voice crack.

Suddenly he stirs and I freeze. He turns his face slightly and cracks open an eye clouded with pain. "Taylor…" He murmurs my name and a fresh wave of tears come. He's alive, but the fear that he might not live much longer and I'll have to face him being dead again surfaces.

"You've got to get out of here."

"What?" Surprise breaks through my emotions and I'm mystified that he thinks I could possibly leave him right now.

"You're in danger if you stay here." Ichigo has turned his face to me fully now and he seems much more awake. Desperation is in his eyes as he speaks again. "Taylor…You have to leave!"

I look away from Ichigo for a moment. Rukia looks like an emotional mess. There is surprise, relief, and fear all mixed together in her eyes. The red-haired Soul Reaper has relaxed his grip on Rukia and confusion and irritation are on his face. The black-haired Soul Reaper has rejoined his companion, but has yet to sheath his sword. His face is completely and utterly blank. Coldly bored.

The anger from early this evening stirs inside me again. It enrages me that he could cut down Ichigo without so much as a flicker of emotion. The anger in me flares and becomes first a flaming rage and then a burning hate.

It's too much. Today has just been too much. And I'm not just gonna sit around and do nothing anymore.

I stand and turn to face the Soul Reapers and Rukia. I reach into my pocket and close my fingers around my gikongan. Ichigo and Rukia both realize what I'm doing at the same time.

"No Taylor, don't!" Rukia screams, struggling in the red-haired Soul Reaper's hold again. "Run, please!" she begs.

"What the hell are you doing?" Ichigo yells at the same time, rising halfway off the ground. "Get the hell out of here before they get you too!"

"_No!_" I shout, the force in my voice silencing Ichigo and Rukia. "I've had enough of this shit today," I say lowly. I pull the gikongan from my pocket and raise it to my lips. The red-haired Soul Reaper drops Rukia and puts a hand to the hilt of his sword while the black-haired one does nothing.

"I'm not going to sit around and do nothing anymore." My voice is rising now. "Do you really think I could leave and let them take Rukia? That I could leave and let them get away with cutting you down?"

I'm yelling now, hate and defiance in my voice. "Hell no! I'm going to fight these bastards and make them pay for what they've done!"

I pop the gikongan in my mouth and as my soul bursts from my body I unleash my anger fuelled spiritual pressure and sending it in a whirl around me.

…

Byakuya Kuchiki, Captain of Squad Six of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads, had moved back when the girl appeared over the crest of the hill. Not because she was likely to be a threat, but because he had already had one surprise in the form of the boy tonight and he didn't really need another. So it's easy to imagine his consternation when, after yelling and screaming, the girl had pulled a gikongan from her pocket and transformed into a Soul Reaper.

Renji Abarai, Lieutenant of Squad Six of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads, was angry and worried. There was _another _human who had Soul Reaper powers here? What the hell had Rukia been thinking? Was she trying to get herself killed? Renji knew Rukia was in trouble for giving her powers to one human, but he didn't know if he would be able to help her with two of them. Plus what the hell was a human thinking taking on real Soul Reapers? This girl would get beat just like the boy did.

Rukia was heartsick with regret. She had left in order to protect everyone, but first Ichigo and now Taylor were in danger. How had she screwed up things so badly? She desperately wanted to do something, anything to stop what was happening. "No don't!" Rukia had cried as Taylor had used her gikongan, but it was already too late. As soon as Taylor's soul had emerged from her body she was just as dead as Ichigo.

Ichigo…well he didn't know what to think. He wanted her to leave because she was in danger by staying. At the same time though her presence was a comfort as his life bled out of him. He liked the way she now stood protectively in front of him. Her spiritual pressure that swirled around her, lifting her hair and moving the folds of his shihakusho, made him feel safe.

The girl had drawn her sword and stared towards them with defiance. Byakuya had to admit he was mildly impressed. While she didn't have the raw power of the boy, the girl's spiritual pressure was far more controlled. Her control was especially unusual for a human who had no right to the abilities she was wielding.

"Renji," Byakuya said over his shoulder, his tone emotionless. "I trust you can take care of this one?"

Renji flushed, humiliated, at the implication. "Of course sir!" he replied, stepping forwards.

Behind him Rukia slumped against the light pole. This was all wrong! "Run Taylor! While you can still get away!" she shouted, desperate and pleading.

"Like hell," Taylor snorted.

"Hmph!" Renji scoffed. "You're awfully cocky for a human with stolen powers."

Taylor scowled deeply at this. "Stolen? That's what you think? That's why you hurt Ichigo isn't it."

"Yep. And that's what's going to happen to you."

They were both shifting slowly around now, sizing each other up.

"Oh really? Well it looks like Ichigo managed to bloody you up before you got him. You can't be that tough."

Renji flushed again, angry. "Don't be so damn arrogant!"

"Well come at me then if you're so strong. Or are you scared?" Taylor sneered.

Renji snapped. "You asked for it, you stupid human!" he roared as he charged.

Their swords met with the sound of clashing steel and the dangerous dance began. The girl was good, Renji had to grudgingly admit. While she wasn't as strong as the boy had been, she was more technically skilled and could meet Renji blow for blow.

Their fight was a blur of shining steel. Ichigo and Rukia were both amazed. They had seen Taylor fight plenty of times, but never like this. Ichigo allowed a tiny bud of hope to blossom in his chest as he watched Taylor fight. Maybe she could do this after all.

Rukia had no such hope. Taylor might be giving Renji a workout now, but if he decided to get serious there was no way that she'd be able to handle him. And she didn't even want to think about what would happen if her brother got involved again.

Taylor and Renji finally sprang apart, both panting hard. This had taken quite long enough, Byakuya decided. "Renji."

"Yes sir," Renji growled. Damn it what the hell was up with these humans? First the boy and now this stupid girl had both put up decent fights. He was putting himself and his Squad to shame. But he knew what that tone of voice meant coming from his Captain and he couldn't agree more. It was time to get serious.

No longer cocky and eyes hard, Renji laid his palm along the flat side of his blade. "Howl! Zabimaru!" Spiritual pressure exploded around Renji as his zanpakuto transformed, turning from all silver to black and white, smaller blades extending along its length like fangs. Taylor visibly shifted backwards, her eyes wary.

Alarm flooded Ichigo as he watched the red-haired Soul Reaper release his zanpakuto again. "Taylor run!" he shouted, trying to raise himself off the ground. "You can't handle this, get out of here!"

"Ichigo…" she said her voice perfectly calm. Ichigo froze, unsure and surprised. "It'll be alright."

And Ichigo watched, completely shocked, as Taylor raised her sword directly out in front of her. She then opened her hand, and let the hilt go. But instead of falling it swung, as if in slow motion, in a graceful arc beneath her hand. "Sing, Tennyo," she said softly.

Everyone one was stunned as spiritual pressure exploded around Taylor. Her zanpakuto changed as well, the blade turning from silver to black and white. Instead of its form changing, however, a small golden bell on a short cord woven of gold and silver thread dropped from where the blade met the hilt. It chimed lightly in the wind created from Taylor's release to shikai.

Rukia and Renji were both shocked. Rukia knew that Taylor had gotten stronger from training with Urahara, but she never would have believed that she had managed to achieve shikai in the short amount of time that she'd had her powers.

Renji didn't know what to think. Were the surprises ever going to end tonight?

Byakuya was surprised as well. The human girl had achieved shikai? Something wasn't right here. He had heard the name of that shikai somewhere…and now that he looked more closely at the girl he did think that she looked vaguely familiar, her face half forgotten. Suddenly it hit Byakuya and he drew a sharp intake of breath, as close as he would ever get to gasping. It couldn't be…could it?

Ichigo felt strangely dazzled. It was probably from the blood loss, but Taylor seemed to glow in a soft golden light. The wind stirred the bell hanging from her zanpakuto and the soft tones it emitted made Ichigo feel secure as Taylor's spiritual pressure wrapped protectively around him. He was still worried and still slowly dying, but somehow he felt at peace.

"So I bet you think you've got me beat just because you have shikai too," Renji growled.

"Don't take me lightly just because I'm human," Taylor warned, her voice hard.

"Ha!" Renji replied, scornfully. "Don't underestimate a Lieutenant of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads!" Renji charged, his zanpakuto held high.

Taylor swung her sword upward, but it wasn't to attack. There was something measured about the movement, the goal of which quickly became apparent as the bell dangling from Taylor's sword emitted a sweet, high-pitched peel. Renji suddenly felt drowsy, his steps slowing and his sword arm coming down.

Blinking blearily, Renji wondered what was going on. Adrenaline flooded through him as Taylor's zanpakuto seemed to swing out of nowhere towards him and he ducked just in time, her blade slicing a few hairs from his ponytail instead of his neck. Renji leapt away and sent Zabimaru flying towards Taylor, the blade stretching out and out. Taylor countered, Zabimaru bunching up against her blade as she skidded backwards.

Finally Taylor managed to deflect Renji's sword sideways. She swung her sword again, sideways this time, and the bell let out not a tone, but a horrible screeching racket. Renji clapped his hands over his ears to try and block out the noise, but it reverberated through his bones. He felt cold steel bite into his side and it was only Renji's quick reflexes that stopped Taylor form making a lethal cut.

Renji leapt away again, pulling Zabimaru back towards him, one hand over the wound now dripping blood from his side. "Damn it!" Renji roared, raising his arm to send Zabimaru after the girl again when Byakuya laid a hand on his wrist.

"That's enough Renji."

"But Captain!" Renji protested. "Please let me handle her sir, I can-!"

"I said that's enough Renji," Byakuya replied, his voice like ice. Renji was silenced instantly. "We need to capture her alive," Byakuya continued, striding forwards.

"Capture her?" Renji asked, perplexed.

"Brother don't!" Rukia shouted. "She doesn't have anything to do with me losing my powers!"

"I realize that. There are long-standing orders from Central 46 to capture and detain this woman and those like her."

Orders to capture her? Neither Rukia nor Renji had any idea what Byakuya was talking about. Ichigo watched as Taylor slowly backed away from the advancing man, her sword up in a guard position. "You've got to get out of here now!" Ichigo hissed at her, willing with all his might that she would just leave and escape.

"Do you really think I'd do that?" she hissed back, looking back over her shoulder at him and piercing him with her blue gaze.

No. He didn't think she'd do that. And that was exactly the problem.

"Don't be an idiot!" Ichigo continued, desperate to convince Taylor to run. "He's the one who cut me down. He was so fast I didn't even see it! We both know that no one here is a match for him."

"That's exactly why I can't leave," Taylor answered softly, a tenderness in her voice that Ichigo had never heard before. His heart ached as he realized that his attempts at convincing her were useless.

Ichigo opened his mouth to speak again, because he refused to give up, but Byakuya spoke before he could. "Girl." He had stopped about a hundred feet away from Taylor where she stood protectively in front of Ichigo's prone form. "Do you recognize me?"

…

I frown at the black-haired Soul Reaper's question. What the hell? Of course I don't recognize him. I've never seen these bastards before in my life!

And yet…there is something familiar about him. The way his dark hair falls across his face and in the proud look in his eye. I definitely know him from somewhere if only from the memories that aren't mine.

As if my pondering has triggered it my vision spins and blurs and a new memory appears before my eyes. The dark skinned, purple haired woman from one of the previous memories is running at a ridiculous speed along a roof. She is gone in a flash, but a dark haired boy, his face contorted with concentration and his eyes flashing with irritation, follows her appearance, chasing her.

I blink, my vision clears, and I see the dark haired Soul Reaper standing before me. This man is the same as the boy, I'm sure of it. The name falls unbidden from my lip as the realization that I know him hits me. "Little Byakuya …"

Surprise flashes so quickly through the Soul Reaper's- Byakuya's, though he clearly isn't little anymore- eyes that if I hadn't been staring at him so hard I would have missed it. He school's his expression back to cold blankness just as quickly before stepping forward.

And suddenly he is moving fast, so ridiculously fast, that it's all I can do to follow him with my eyes. Time seems to slow as he approaches me, drawing a fist back by his side. At a speed at odds with the world around me my vision begins to spin and another memory takes hold.

It is dark out, but the moon is shining high above casting the world around me into sharp relief. I seem to be kneeling on the ground hacking something thick and white out my throat. My head turns upward and I see the brown-haired man with glasses from my previous visions standing before me. He has his sword in his hand and is raising it high above his head, the moonlight reflecting off the blade. But, this isn't what horrifies me- it's his expression. He has that same mild expression, the faint smile that he has worn in all the memories I've seen of him. But his eyes are cold, so cold. Like killing me holds no more importance to him than squashing an irritating insect.

My mouth opens, to scream I expect, when the sudden blossoming of pain from my stomach violently wrenches me back to reality. Byakuya has punched me in the gut. He draws his fist back and steps away and I fall to my knees in an eerie reproduction of the vision. I can tell from the way the pain is spreading and the way the edges of my vision are turning black that I'm going to pass out.

I manage to look up. I see that Rukia is screaming fighting the other Soul Reaper- Renji, my brain supplies- again. I look to my left and see Ichigo halfway off the ground, blood still pouring from his wound. He is screaming too, desperation written all over his face, but I can't hear anything anymore.

As I begin to fall I try to speak, to tell Ichigo that it's ok. As long as he's still alive everything's ok. I can feel my mouth moving, but I can't tell if I'm making any sound or not.

Darkness reaches out to embrace me as my body collapses to the ground. My final thought is of Ichigo. I attempt to say his name one more time as unconsciousness finally finds me.

…

"Ichi…go…"

The way she said his name was like a peaceful sigh, but it only made Ichigo more frantic. The spell that had been created by the comfort of Taylor's spiritual pressure had disappeared. They had really lost. He had really failed.

"Taylor! _Taylor!_" Ichigo yelled, trying to stand, to go to her. There was no way he could though. The blood loss was catching up to him.

Byakuya turned back towards Renji and Rukia. "Renji."

"Yes sir." Renji jogged over to his Captain leaving Rukia to slump against the light post again, defeated and in despair. Renji leaned down once he had reached Taylor, grabbed her, and threw her over his shoulder like she was a sack of rice.

Rage course through Ichigo. "Put her down damn it!" But they were ignoring him. Renji turned and walked back to Rukia with Taylor, but as Byakuya made to follow Ichigo grabbed his hakama.

"Let go," Byakuya ordered coolly without looking at Ichigo.

"Like hell," Ichigo replied, panting. He was fighting to stay conscious now. "You really think I'm just going to let you walk away?" Ichigo's fist tightened convulsively around the fabric.

*"So…you must not want that hand." Byakuya's voice was as cold as his eyes as he stared down at Ichigo, the threat clear in his tone.

Rukia panicked. She wouldn't be able to stand it if any more blood was spilled tonight. She raced forward and kicked Ichigo's hand away from Byakuya's hakama.

"You're a mere human! How dare you touch my brother's shihakusho! Know your place boy!" Ichigo stared up at Rukia, flabbergasted. "Let us go brother,"* she continued her voice as coldly emotionless as Byakuya's had been.

They all turned to leave. "Rukia! What the hell are you doing?" Ichigo shouted. "Rukia! Tell me what's going on!"

**"Be still!" Rukia turned back towards Ichigo suddenly and he was shocked to see her holding back tears. "Move one inch from there, try coming after us, and I will never forgive you!"** This was all that Rukia could do. Her fate and Taylor's were already sealed. But she could stop her brother from finishing Ichigo off and give him the chance to live. Rukia was sure that Taylor would agree that this was the right thing to do if she knew.

Renji used Zabimaru to open the gate to the Soul Society and Ichigo watched, helpless, as all four of them disappeared. It began to rain. Failure bit his heart like cold steel.

He had practically floated home after school in a haze of happiness and had stayed there all night until he had discovered Kon in the bathroom. Kon's warning of Rukia's disappearance, which Ichigo had been chagrined to realize that he hadn't notice until Kon told him, had brought him back to earth and he had set out to bring her back.

But his rescue attempt had failed and his was cut down by Rukia's brother. Taylor had appeared and fought to save both him and Rukia.

She had been taken too.

And he had been unable to do anything.

Pain, despair, and guilt ripped through him like they hadn't done since they night he had fought Grand Fisher.

Would he ever be strong enough to keep hold of those he loved?

The rain poured down around Ichigo as his anguished scream echoed through the night.

…

For what seemed like a long time Ichigo faded in and out of consciousness. The only thing he could think of was how cold he was.

How painful his wounds were.

How wet the rain was.

He wondered how much longer it was going to take him to die.

Abruptly the rain stopped. Ichigo managed to crack one eye open. Urahara stood above him, an umbrella in his hand, wearing the most remorseful face Ichigo had ever seen.

**-End of Agent of the Shinigami Arc-**

**Author's Note:**

_And that's Chapter 14 and the end of the first section of this story. I really hope I surprised everyone with the ending. I'm so happy I finally got to write this chapter!_

_So next chapter we begin the Soul Society Arc (I got the Agent of the Shinigami thing from the Bleach wiki in case you were wondering). I suspect that no one's really going to be able to guess where it's going and it may seem kind of slow at first, but it will pick up the farther I get into it. Also don't get too excited about Taylor's shikai because it's not actually that important to the story…right now._

_Don't worry too much though. I have the basic outline of a plot for Taylor's story through the Hueco Mundo Arc and I've been brainstorming a sort-of far in the future continuation for afterwards. Once this story ends there will be a sequel with the Hueco Mundo Arc and then another sequel that will be the far-into-the-future thing. _

_Citations:_

_Between the *English language version, Vol. 7, Ch. 56, by Viz_

_Between the ** English language version, Vol. 7, Ch. 56, by Viz (except the 'us' is 'I')_

_Nine reviews this time and we're up to 70 total! Freaking awesome! I feel a lot better about the whole review thing now and thank you for all the love. Many thanks to my reviewers for Chapter 13: ComicXArena, MikaBee2434LOVE, zipscool, Babbit2, an anonymous reader, indescribable music, Shannyrox101, Shaybo27, and bored411!_

_And thank you to everyone who has ever read this story. I started working on this story right out of high school and now it's like 4 or 5 years later. I know it's taken me way too long to get this far, but I really appreciate the support of everyone who reviews and puts this story on alert. THANK YOU! _

_Look out for the beginning of the Soul Society Arc and the next chapter, Jailbirds!_

_Thanks for reading! _

_**imagination junkie**_


	15. Jailbirds

**Disclaimer:** _I do not own Bleach or anyone or anything from Bleach. It's as simple as that. Everything else, however, is mine. :D _

**Chapter 15: Jailbirds**

Ichigo was confused as he awoke slowly. The pain was gone. So he wondered…

Was he dead?

But, no. He wasn't cold anymore. In fact he was warm.

Warm?

Ichigo fully awoke seconds later with an alarmed shout. There was a dark skinned, mustachioed man lying on top of him. *"A quick response! Very good!" the man said before shouting for his boss.

As Ichigo pushed the strange man, who he recognized as one of Urahara's people, off him pain twinged in his shoulder. Confused, Ichigo sat up and found that his entire torso had been heavily bandaged. I'm not dead?, Ichigo thought. Surely he should have died…so why was he still alive? In fact where the hell was he? Wherever Ichigo was it clearly wasn't his house.

"No, no Mr. Kurosaki! Your wounds have barely closed. If you move around too much you'll die," a perky voice sang.

Ichigo whipped around. "Hat-and-clogs!" It was Urahara. "So this is your house?"

"Yes!"

"Did you…save me?" Ichigo asked lowly.

"What? You sound upset. Didn't you want to be saved?"

Ichigo didn't respond to that, instead fixing his gaze on the ground and laying a hand on his injured shoulder. Did he want to be saved? It was cowardly…but there was a part of him that didn't. That didn't want to face the fact the he had failed. Again.

Another thought struck Ichigo. "What about Uryuu?"

"Oh his wound wasn't that bad," Urahara replied, his tone unconcerned. "I patched him up then and there and he went home. But he did say…" Ichigo felt himself stiffen as something in Urahara's tone changed. Hardened. "That the only one who can save them is you."

Again Ichigo refused to look at Urahara. Self-loathing settled deep in the pit of Ichigo's stomach. He was the one who could save them? Yeah, right.

"Me huh?," Ichigo began quietly. "Heh…What am I supposed to do? Rukia went back to the Soul Society! And Taylor! They took her and I don't even know why! What the hell am I supposed to do about that?" Ichigo had stopped shouting but he sat there breathing hard.

Urahara gave a weary sigh and tilted his head, hiding his eyes behind his hat. "I'm afraid that for Taylor it was a case of mistaken identity."

Ichigo turned to Urahara, surprised. "Mistaken identity?"

"Yes. You see Taylor's powers actually belonged to another Soul Reaper who was condemned to death by the Soul Society a very long time ago. When she used her shikai…well every shikai is unique to the Soul Reaper that wields it. It was like she was flashing her fingerprints at them. And because there was someone there who recognized that sword release she was captured in the stead of the original Soul Reaper."

A heaviness that Urahara was all too familiar with settled over him in the brief silence that followed his explanation. He wouldn't tell Ichigo this, but what had happened the night before was partially- honestly, almost entirely- his fault. He was the one who had made sure that Rukia's powers wouldn't return. And he really should have done more to prevent Taylor from being out last night when Byakuya and Renji had made their move. He had gotten careless, Urahara thought sadly.

Ichigo stared at Urahara as he processed everything. What he said made sense…but it didn't change anything. "It doesn't matter," Ichigo said bitterly. "I can't get to the Soul Society anyways. I can't save them."

There was a long moment of silence. And then, "Do you really think there's no way to get to the Soul Society?" Urahara asked, his voice impassive.

A jolt of shock raced through Ichigo. There was a way to get there? If he could get there then there was the possibility that he could…

"How! How can I get there? Tell me!" Ichigo shouted rising quickly to his feet.

"I'll tell you," Urahara replied, holding up a finger. "Under one condition."

Ichigo listened, anger and disbelief churning inside him. Urahara wanted to train him? For ten days? They didn't have time for this! Who knew when Taylor and Rukia would be killed? Ichigo protested, shouting as much at Urahara.

"You don't understand." Urahara said quietly, effectively interrupting Ichigo's tirade. Suddenly the end of Urahara's cane was in Ichigo's face and before he had a chance to blink he was on the ground. "What I'm trying to tell you is they'll kill you."

Ichigo swallowed as instinctive fear rushed through him. The end of Urahara's cane now hovered over his neck, but it felt like the point of a blade was pressed against his throat. It was impossible for Ichigo to ignore Urahara's words like this.

"I let you fight them this time," Urahara continued as if he hadn't just thrown Ichigo to the ground, his voice like cold steel. "In order to prove a point. If Taylor, who I have been training since she discovered her powers, couldn't defeat them here what makes you think that you would win in the Soul Society? Going there as you are now would be suicide Mr. Kurosaki."

Urahara stood up straight, moving his cane away and allowing Ichigo to sit up. Ichigo shot Urahara a glare as he spoke again. "The Soul Society generally waits a month to execute a capital offender. That should hold true for Miss Kuchiki as well."

"What about Taylor?" Ichigo asked looking at the ground again. He held his breath, both desperate and terrified to hear the answer.

"If she plays her cards right I doubt they'll kill her right away," Urahara answered quietly. "They'll want answers from her. Answers that she doesn't have. They'll keep her alive until they find out why."

There was another long moment of silence as Ichigo wrestled with himself. With the hope and hopelessness that swirled within him. With the part of him that would do whatever it took to protect those who cared about and the part that whispered he would never be strong enough. "Can I get strong enough?"

"Of course." Urahara replied firmly. "If you wish to save them with your whole heart. Then you have at your disposal a power stronger than iron. But if your resolve is half-hearted, forget it."

Ichigo wrestled with himself for another long moment until hope, and another feeling that made his heart race, lifted in his chest. He could do this. He _had _to do this. There wasn't anyone else, right?

Finally Ichigo turned to Urahara and looked him straight in the eye, his old determination returning. "All right! Let's do this!"

A slow grin spread across Urahara's face. For a long, long time Urahara had been doing the same thing- hoping for the best but preparing for this worst. But this kid…looking into Ichigo's eyes and seeing his stubborn resolve…for the first time in a long while Urahara felt something that seemed suspiciously like optimism.

…**In the Soul Society…**

The sound of hurried footsteps on the wooden floor is the only warning we have of his impending appearance. The Lieutenant of Squad Six of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads. Renji Abarai. Or, as I like to call him, the red-haired, pineapple-headed baboon. I sit up a little bit straighter in my chair.

Rukia and I have been detained by Squad Six for the past two days without hearing a damn thing about what's supposed to happen to us. There's nothing in our cells except for a straight-backed chair and a futon. Upon our arrival they took my zanpakuto from me, ordered me into a white robe that's identical to Rukia's, and sealed my spiritual pressure with wooden cuffs that prevent me from moving my hands independently. Not only is it uncomfortable, I feel…it just feels wrong having my powers suppressed. The only thing I can still do is sense spiritual pressures, which doesn't really help much as my senses are pretty much completely overwhelmed by being surrounded by Soul Reapers 24/7.

So Rukia and I have just been sitting in our cells and waiting. And let me tell you sitting in jail is _boring_. Rukia seems to be taking it pretty well, but I'm about to pull my hair out. So in order to entertain myself I've been tormenting Renji whenever he's come to "check on" (visit) the "prisoners" (Rukia).

The door to the cellblock bursts open and in comes Renji…wearing a white yukata covered in pink flower petals. It's all I can do not to burst out laughing. The pink clashes horribly with his hair.

Without so much as a glance at me Renji goes over to Rukia's cell and leans against the bars. **"How long are you going to sulk Rukia? You'd better eat something or you won't survive to be executed."

"I'm not sulking," Rukia answers him coolly. "I'm just not hungry…Mr. Lieutenant."

As Renji twitches I have to stuff my hand in my mouth to keep myself from laughing. As much as I like goading Renji, because it's incredibly easy to get him riled up, it's even funnier to see Rukia do it.

"Huh? Does my new rank bother you?" Renji growls.

"Not at all," Rukia replies carelessly. "You must have worked hard to get yourself promoted in the two months I was gone. I'm happy for you. Good luck, Mr. Lieutenant! You're strong, Mr. Lieutenant! What's with the funky eyebrows, Mr. Lieutenant?"

Rukia's last comment has me howling in mirth as Renji explodes. It's true that the pattern of tattoos on Renji's forehead does change the way his eyebrows look, but by the ways he's reacting I'm inclined to think Rukia was hitting below the belt. Oh well, at least it's entertaining for me.

A long moment of silence follows after Renji stops spitting curses at Rukia and stands there glowering at her. "Renji?" she asks quietly.

"What?" he snaps.

"Am I really…going to die?"

Rukia's question sobers me. It's something that I've been wondering too. Surely they're just going to kill us so why are they making us wait?

"Of course you are!" Renji shouts, his patience clearly wearing thin. "You're going to be executed any day!"

Irritation races through me. The pineapple is an idiot. Clearly he hasn't noticed the mood change.

"I see…Why wouldn't I be?" Rukia says softly.

Renji freezes for a moment. "C'mon I'm only kidding!" he shouts grabbing the bars of Rukia's cell and making them rattle loudly.

"Hey. Leave her alone," I say, my voice cold. I've had enough of this. My temper is frayed as it is right now and I'm not about to let Renji get away with being a jerk to Rukia. It's not funny anymore.

Renji turns on me scowling. "This isn't any of your business," he says as he stalks over to my cell.

"It's my business when you start harassing my friend, pineapple-head."

I feel a rush of satisfaction as a vein in Renji's forehead pops. "What did you call me?" he all but snarls.

"You heard me," I scoff dismissively. "Or are you too stupid to understand what I said?"

"You little-!" Renji explodes again. "Why don't you come and say that to my face?" he shouts through the bars of my cell, making an attempt to grab me as I dance just out of his reach laughing.

"No thanks. I don't want to smell like a baboon."

Renji is nearly incoherent with rage by now. "You little-!" he splutters at me. "How about we step outside and I'll show you who's the baboon!"

"Ooooh you're sure tough now that I'm locked in a cell with these on," I mock, waving my handcuffs in his face.

This really is too funny. And satisfying. I can't do much while I'm locked in this cell, but at least I can try and bring a little hell into my captor's life. Renji's face is turning purple, his eyebrow is twitching, and there are veins popping out all over his face. Before we can go any further, however, Rukia's voice rings wearily out. "Taylor…that's enough."

Renji turns away from me, his face slowly returning to its normal color. I don't particularly want to, because I'm inclined to think Renji deserves to be tormented for being such an ass, but I reluctantly relent and stay silent.

Renji suddenly sighs. "Captain Kuchiki is on his way to headquarters. He'll probably request a reduced sentence for you. He's your older brother. He won't stand by and let you be killed."

"You're right," Rukia replies quietly and I can hear the resignation in her voice. "He'll kill me himself."** Renji turns back to look at her, clearly startled. He tries to protest, arguing that Rukia can't be serious. Rukia doesn't respond.

Eventually Renji leaves, apparently unable to think of anything else to say. I can't think of anything to say either. In the two days that we've been hear the main thing Rukia and I have been doing to pass the time is talking. I've told her about my past and she's told me about hers. All I can say is that Rukia's had hard life. And she definitely doesn't deserve to be punished by being executed. I wish there's something that I could say to make her feel better. Perhaps the fact that we're both facing the same thing lends a little bit of comfort that words cannot.

These thoughts bring me back to Renji. According to Rukia they grew up together in the Rukon District. They were close until Rukia was taken in by the Kuchikis. This gives me an idea to distract her…

"So Rukia…you like Renji right?"

Rukia jumps and whips around to stare at me, dumbfounded. "Huh?"

I manage to resist the urge to slap my palm against my forehead. Rukia can be very dense about some things. "Well it's pretty obvious that he likes you that way. Don't you feel the same?" I ask slyly.

"I…I don't know what you're talking about," Rukia says evasively, quickly turning away but not before I catch the blush spreading across her cheeks.

I smirk lightly to myself, but don't say anything more. I don't need to. I'm pretty sure I've effectively distracted Rukia for the next several hours. Unfortunately our brief conversation brings up some things that I've been working very hard to avoid thinking about. Mainly Ichigo.

Worry and sadness settle in my stomach as my thoughts begin to whirl. The main one is about whether or not Ichigo survived. I hope he did but his wounds…they were so serious. The fear that Ichigo died catches me and I suddenly find I can't breath.

No, no! Stop being stupid. Ichigo is tough and stubborn. He wouldn't just give up. He wouldn't just roll over and die! There's no way he'd die right? _Right?_ I can't stand it anymore and I voice the question that won't stop plaguing me.

"Hey Rukia," I say. She turns to look at me expectantly. "Do you think…" the words are getting stuck in my throat because I'm so afraid to ask them. Afraid that I'll hear the answer I dread most. "Do you think Ichigo…?" I find I can't finish my sentence.

"Hmph!" Rukia snorts. "Of course not. That idiot's too stupid to die." She gives me a confident smile.

It's slow, but I manage to smile in return, some of my fears assuaged. "Thanks, Rukia."

Rukia's smile gentles. "You're welcome Taylor."

…

As I stand before the tall double doors it's impossible to stop my knees from shaking. Slowly they creak open revealing a long, dimly lit room. The guard on my left shoves my shoulder and I stumble forward.

A few hours after Renji's visit Byakuya had appeared and stated that I was to be questioned during a Captain's meeting so that the Captain-Commander could make a recommendation to Central 46 before my sentencing. Byakuya had brought along two other officers from Squad Six who had promptly tied me up with kido-enforced ropes effectively preventing me from doing anything besides walking. They had then marched me (and it was a long march) from the Squad Six compound to Squad One.

And now I'm stumbling into a meeting of the most powerful Soul Reapers in the Soul Society.

Their spiritual pressure alone is astonishing, and with my own sealed away the air around me feels so thick that I can barely stay upright. They are standing in two lines of six on either side of the room. As I pass them, glancing at them surreptitiously out of the corner of my eyes, something in those memories triggers and names come into my mind as they did when I recognized Byakuya.

Jushiro Ukitake. Mayuri Kurotsuchi. Shunsui Kyroraku. Retsu Unohana. Soi Fon. And Byakuya of course. I recognize the faces of these people from the memories, but beyond that I know absolutely nothing about them. But there are three that as soon as their names come into my mind an added thrill of fear runs down my spine. Kaname Tosen. Gin Ichimaru. And Sosuke Aizen. These three…somehow I know there's a good reason to be afraid of them.

That Aizen guy…he's the one from some of the previous memories, I realize, as I examine him more closely. He's watching me with the same expression as he had in my dreams and visions. A faintly pleasant smile on his face and cold, cold eyes. I quickly turn my gaze away from him unwilling to risk making eye contact.

The other captains, both the ones I recognize and the ones I don't, all have their eyes on me. Some look curious, others look completely disinterested, and a couple even look rather sad. But it's clear they're all waiting for something. It must be…

Genryusai Shigekuni Yamamoto taps the end of his cane on the floor and calls the meeting to order. He cracks one wizened eye open to look at me and says, "I take it you know why you've been summoned here, Wakana Tsukino."

My brain grinds to a stop for a moment in surprise. Huh? Who the hell is Wakana Tsukino? Before I can even begin to sort through my confusion Yamamoto speaks again. "Well?" Apparently he's not a patient man.

I swallow hard. "I…I'm not…My name isn't Wakana Tsukino and I have no idea who that is," I finally manage to say, though my voice is far from steady.

Surprised murmuring spreads along the lines of captains on either side of me. Yamamoto opens his other eye and seems to examine me more carefully. I keep my gazed focused on my feet.

"What is your name then, girl?" Yamamoto asks gruffly.

"Taylor Smithson. And I'm human."

"Human?" Yamamoto's voice is harsh and I can't help but flinch away from it. "Human even though you wield Wakana Tsukino's zanpakuto Tennyo?"

Suddenly all the pieces seem to fall into place. Tennyo is this Wakana woman's zanpaktuo? So the Soul Reaper who gave me their powers was her? This certainly seems to fit with what Urahara told me, but it really raises more questions than it answers. And if they find out that know that Wakana somehow gave me her powers I'm screwed. Shit. I've gotta play this carefully.

"I don't know what you're talking about," I say, trying to meet Yamamoto's eye. It's impossible though. He's just too intimidating. "Tennyo is my zanpakuto. And I _am _human. Ask him." I shoot a look a Byakuya who looks as emotionless as ever. "He saw me leave my body."

Yamamoto's gaze shifts to Byakuya. "Is that true Captain Kuchiki?"

"I did see her leave a body, but at that distance it was impossible to tell if it was human or a gigai," Byakuya replies, sounding bored.

I bite my lip. That lying bastard. I'm human and he knows it. Yamamoto's turns back to me and I shrink back under his scrutinizing gaze. He has brought some of the force of his massive spiritual pressure down on me, probably trying to intimidate me into talking, and I'm starting to feel woozy.

"Excuse me, Captain-Commander Yamamoto."

Yamamoto's attention snaps away from me and I nearly fall as I am released from his spiritual pressure. Recovering my balance I turn to look at who spoke and nearly fall over again. It's Aizen.

"What is it Captain Aizen?" Yamamoto asks. He seems irritated now.

Aizen smiles at me briefly before looking back at Yamamoto. It's a physical effort for me not to flinch because of his gaze. I wish I had more ready access to those memories. Why is he so frightening?

"Perhaps Ms. Smithson here is telling the truth. While she may wield Third-seat Tsukino's zanpakuto she truly doesn't seem to have any idea who she is. And while she certainly resembles Third-seat Tsukino physically they are not identical."

"Get to your point Aizen," Yamamoto commands brusquely.

"Of course, sir." Aizen gives Yamamoto a little bow. "I'm proposing that we send her to Central 46 for questioning. Clearly there is more to this than we previously thought. Central 46 will have better resources and more time to investigate this matter thoroughly."

Muttering breaks out around me again as Yamamoto closes his eyes to think about it. I wait, heart in my throat. Will going to Central 46 be better? I honestly have no idea. Central 46 sounds familiar, but there are no forthcoming memories to tell me what exactly it is.

Yamamoto finally opens his eyes again. "Does anyone object to Aizen's suggestion?" His only answer is silence. "Very well. Taylor Smithson, suspected as Wakana Tsukino, will be sent to Central 46 for further questioning." Yamamoto pounds his cane twice more against the floor.

**Author's Note:**

_This chapter is eeeeh. Definitely not my favorite or my best, but it works as a transition chapter between arcs. I apologize for the two long quoted sections. The first one with Ichigo was one that I felt I had to put into the story and it was one that I wasn't about to mess with very much because it's so important. The one with Renji and Rukia I didn't necessarily need to use, but there aren't very many canon scenes with Rukia imprisoned and honestly that scene amuses me so I decided to use it. But don't worry because I probably won't do very many of those from here on out. They're a pain…_

_As a note for future chapters, most of the story is now going to be focused on Taylor. I've been jumping a lot between Taylor and third person POVs, but I'm going to stop doing that so much because everyone already know what happens to Ichigo. So other than for a few scenes I'm not going to be following Ichigo around a lot. Also since Ichigo is already taken in this story I'm going to lean in a RenRuki direction for those two characters. There will probably be some other pairings in the sequels as well._

_Just a reminder for the next chapter…in canon Aizen took out Central 46 right after they figured out where Rukia was in the World of the Living. This will be important._

_Citations:_

_Between the *English language version, Vol. 7, Ch. 57, by Viz- minus the sections about Uryuu and all mentions of Taylor (though I did leave some parts out)._

_Between the **English language version, Vol. 7, Ch. 59, by Viz- minus Taylor's interlude with Renji and in the actual chapter Renji's rank is referred to as "Assistant Captain". I like Lieutenant better so that's what I used (it also keeps continuity with last chapter). _

_Seven more reviews! Yay! Thank you to my reviewers Nemo-chan, Princess-Lazy-Chan, MikeBee2434LOVE, Shannyrox101, indescribable music, bored411, and Shatter the Heavens!_

_I'm sorry, but my updating pace is probably going to slow down from what it's been the past couple weeks. I was in the country taking care of my aunt and uncle's animals while they were on vacation and there wasn't a lot to do so I spent a lot of time writing. However, I'm back home now and have more diversions…like high speed Internet. So I've been spending more time doing other things like watching anime on Netflix and using the Viz manga app. Don't worry, I'll still keep updating though!_

_Thanks for reading! _

_**imagination junkie**_


	16. The Truth, At Last

**Disclaimer:** _I do not own Bleach or anyone or anything from Bleach. It's as simple as that. Everything else, however, is mine. :D _

_**SPOLIER WARNING**__: If you aren't up to the point in canon where they show the Vizard's origin story DO NOT READ THIS CHAPTER. I don't want to spoil anything for anyone!_

**Chapter 16: The Truth, At Last**

I close my eyes in order to keep the light from blinding me. After standing in the deep darkness of the room, the light is bright enough to hurt. Slowly I am able to open my eyes, but I'm still forced to squint against the brightness. So this is Central 46… As soon as I left the room where the captain's meeting was held I was blindfolded so I have no knowledge about Central 46 besides what I can see in this room. I do know that it was another long walk, however.

I am standing in the middle of a large room, with several tiers of risers surrounding me. There are several lights focused on the center of the room where I stand, throwing the rest of the chamber into shadow. I can just make out through the gloom that there is a multitude of paper screens set up on the risers with numbers printed on them, 46 in all.

A voice rings out from behind one of the screens and fills the room around me. "You, Taylor Smithson, have been brought here for questioning on the suspicion that you are Wakana Tsukino. You may only speak when you are asked to answer a question. Do you understand?"

"Yes," I answer quietly. As far as I can figure the best thing to do now is cooperate.

But…there's something…wrong here. I can feel spiritual pressure all around me. It's pervasive, filing every corner of the room. The spiritual pressure if familiar, something about it tugging at Wakana's memories, but with the overload my senses have been under for the past couple of days I can't identify it.

"Good," the voice says again. "We will proceed with the interrogation."

A new voice speaks this time. "Ms. Smithson is it true that you were present when Rukia Kuchiki was retrieved from the World of the Living and that you engaged Captain Byakuya Kuchiki and Lieutenant Renji Abarai in combat in order to prevent her capture?"

"Yes." This isn't looking good.

"And in that confrontation is it true that you wielded the zanpakuto Tennyo, which effects an enemy's ability to fight by using sound?"

And there it is. The most damning and irrefutable evidence against me. "…Yes."

To room around me explodes into chatter as the second voice makes a satisfied noise. "There we have it then. I see no reason to further question whether or not this girl is Wakana Tsukino."

"But I'm not!" I shout in protest.

"Silence!" the first voice thunders at me loud enough to make me wince. "You do not have the right to speak out of turn!"

"But I'm really not her!" Do they really think I am just going to stand here quietly and let them sentence me without a fight? Wakana may have been the woman who gave me her powers, but I don't even know why there's a warrant out for her arrest! "I have no idea who this Tsukino person is! My name is Taylor Smithson and I'm human!"

The entire room is in an uproar around me, everyone shouting over each other trying to be heard. The spiritual pressure around me seems to have intensified and it's filling my brain with a constant buzz as my temples threaten a migraine.

"Hold on, hold on just a minute everyone." A voice behind me says loudly. Slowly the noise around me quiets. "Face me Ms. Smithson," this new voice commands. I turn towards it and find myself looking at another paper screen, this one with the character for 'five' written on it.

"Now, Ms. Smithson. Where did you get your zanpakuto?" the third voice asks in a manner that is clearly meant to be kindly.

"What do you mean?" I ask, unable to keep the defensiveness out of my tone.

There is a loud 'tsk' from behind me, but the third voice ignores it. "I mean did you manifest it on your own or did someone give it to you?"

Ah. This is a problem. What should I do? Cooperate? Right. The best thing to do is cooperate. "Someone gave it to me…" I admit begrudgingly.

"And who gave it to you?"

Now what do I do? Will I be in bigger trouble if I tell them it was Urahara? Will Urahara get in trouble? I find I have a hard time caring whether or not telling these people the truth will affect Urahara. After all it's his fault I'm in this mess. He was the one who gave me Tennyo without telling me all this other crap. I take a deep breath and prepare to throw Urahara under the bus. "…Kisuke Urahara."

The room around me explodes again. Everyone is shouting at each other, over each other. The noise only adds to the buzzing that the strange spiritual pressure is causing in my brain and I'm definitely developing a headache. I just want this to be over.

The third voice calls for silence again, and gradually calm settles. The third voice continues. "I see. So you were given the zanpakuto called Tennyo with no prior knowledge of what it was, correct?" I nod. "I have one final question then. Do you have any knowledge of Shinji Hirako and the seven others who were with him or any knowledge about their whereabouts?"

I frown as this third question throws me for a loop. Shinji Hirako…the name certainly sounds familiar, but I don't have the faintest clue who he is. "No," I reply wearily. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

The chatter that erupts around me this time is much quieter. "Very well," the third voice continues over the sound of the crowd. "What do you think?" The question this time is directed not at me, but at the room at large.

"It is interesting," the second voice says from behind me and I turn to look towards its source. "This certainly gives us many things to discuss. What say the rest of you?"

There is a general murmur of assent around me and the first voice speaks again. "Very well. Taylor Smithson, Central 46 will reserve judgment on your case pending further discussion. You are dismissed."

There is the sound of footsteps behind me, but before I can turn to look another blindfold is placed over my eyes. I allow myself to be led away, grateful to be out of that room of constant whispers and the enveloping spiritual pressure. A headache pounds away behind my eyes.

…

_Taylor…open your eyes._

I'm dreaming. I know I am. But the voice is real.

_Taylor…we need to talk. Open your eyes._

No. I don't want to. Leave me alone. Let me sleep.

_Taylor…I'll explain everything. Please._

Really? You mean it? I'll finally have the answers to all the questions that have been plaguing me?

_Yes. Just open your eyes…Taylor._

I open my eyes and immediately recognize where I am. My inner world. A rolling grass plain stretches endlessly around me. Above me the cool night sky is empty except for a single silvery comet tracing its way across the heavens. And in front of me a lone tree stands, it branches swaying gently in the breeze that ripples the grass that stands to my waist.

I walk towards the tree, knowing who I'll find waiting beneath it. Tennyo. She looks up at me, a gentle smile on her face, as I approach. My zanpakuto spirit takes the form of a beautiful woman, her dark hair is pulled back in an intricate knot and she has huge, silvery eyes. She wears a dramatic silver kimono with sleeves that brush the ground and a bright golden obi. The patterns of the constellations are embroidered in delicate gold thread across the kimono's surface.

"Taylor," Tennyo greets me. "It's good to see you again."

"Yea. Too bad it's not under better circumstances," I reply glumly.

"Indeed." Tennyo's tone is a bit sheepish.

"So you said you would explain everything?"

The smile falls from Tennyo's face and she looks apologetic. "Yes, I will. And I'm sorry that I didn't sooner."

I'm unable to help my curiosity and ask, "But why now? What changed?"

Tennyo's face becomes serious. "That meeting in Central 46. It's that man again…" I stare at Tennyo blankly. Suddenly she looks up at me, meeting my eyes with such intensity that I'm startled. "Aizen."

I can't help the gasp that name inspires. Why is he so frightening?

Tennyo looks away from me and sighs. She suddenly seems sad, causing her entire frame to droop. "It began over a hundred years ago…" she begins softly.

"In many ways the Soul Society was very different then than how it is now. Only four of the current captains were in those positions a hundred years ago."

I blink in surprise at this. Only four? "What happened?"

Tennyo smiles sadly. "That is the heart of the story. But perhaps I should begin a bit before that…"

I get a strange drowsy feeling as Tennyo begins to speak. The edges of my vision blur and I can feel myself drifting to the edge where my consciousness and Wakana's memories meet. Images begin to flash before my eyes.

"I was once the zanpakuto of a woman by the name of Wakana Tsukino. She was a kind woman and a hard worker. She made friends easily and believed in the good in everyone she met. You resemble her greatly, Taylor. She also had blonde hair and blue eyes."

"Really?" I ask in surprise, fingering a section of my hair. The brief image of a woman examining her reflection in a mirror flashes before my eyes. She has blonde hair and blue eyes and for a brief second I think she's me. But no…her face is rounder than mine and her nose is longer.

"Yes," Tennyo replies, smiling fondly in remembrance. "I believe that your blonde hair is somehow the result of her influence on your soul."

"Huh…" I mutter in reply. That's an interesting thought. At one time it probably would have comforted me to think that the blonde hair that's been such a source of problems for me wasn't really mine. But now I've grown to like my hair. It's a part of me and I don't want to think that it actually belongs to someone else.

Tennyo continues I pull myself from my musings to listen. "She became the Third-seat of Squad Five 110 years ago under Captain Shinji Hirako and the then Lieutenant Sosuke Aizen. Around that same time Kisuke Urahara became the Captain of Squad Twelve." More images flash before me. A man with long blonde hair and a sour frown. A younger Aizen. And a younger Urahara, a true, open smile on his face.

I am unable to stop myself from snorting. How the hell is Urahara important to this story?

Tennyo smiles indulgently at me. "Just be patient Taylor. Everything will make sense in due time. Wakana had gone to the Academy with Kisuke and as such they were friends. Wakana enjoyed her post as Third-seat. Captain Hirako was not terribly personable, but he respected his subordinates and Wakana was deeply loyal to him. She was also loyal to Lieutenant Aizen. He was pleasant and genial and Wakana liked him. She even admitted to having a crush on him for a while."

My only reaction to that is 'ew'.

"A hundred years ago…things began to happen. There were disappearances in the Rukon District. People were dying and leaving just their undamaged clothes behind without any signs of a struggle. People were literally disappearing without a trace. And then…a team of Soul Reapers who were sent to investigate the other disappearances vanished…"

There is a long pause and I take the opportunity to process everything I've just heard. I'm not sure what to make of all of it. But, Wakana's memories have definitely strengthened. I remember everything that Tennyo's told me as if I was the one living it. As if I have become Wakana through her memories.

I look, expectant, at Tennyo, waiting for her to continue. "Wakana's memories have become yours?" she asks me quietly. I nod. "I see. That will make things easier. What happens next is the most important part of this story. When those first group of Soul Reapers disappeared a special task force made up of officers from the Squad Nine was dispatched to investigate…"

I blink rapidly trying to clear my vision as everything begins to swirl and distort. I haven't actually entered a memory since I came to the Soul Society, but if this event is as important as Tennyo says this memory must be very powerful. I stop fighting and allow myself to fall into the vision.

…

CLAK CLAK CLAK!

Wakana Tsukino jumped as the sound of the alarm echoed through the Seireitei. Wakana listened carefully as the emergency was shouted.

"Captain Muguruma's and Lieutenant Kuna's spiritual pressures have disappeared?" she murmured quietly to herself. "Weren't they investigating those disappearances in the Rukon District?" Wakana asked, turning to the man sitting across the desk from her.

Understanding sparked in Kisuke Urahara's eyes and he leapt to his feet and raced out his office with a cry of "Hiyori!"

"Wait! Kisuke!" Wakana called after him, also rising to her feet, but it was too late. The sound of his footsteps had already faded. Wakana flopped back down into her chair. "I come to have a nice cup of tea with an old friend and then he just runs off…" she sighed. Wakana turned her head as the summons of an emergency Captain's meeting was announced.

Wakana slumped lower into her chair. "I should probably go back to Squad Five…" she murmured to herself. Her lower lip jutted out petulantly. "But I'm more likely to hear what happened from Kisuke than Captain Hirako…"

"Yes, I think I'll stay." Wakana declared to the air as she picked up her teacup again. She really should have gone back to her own Squad but…there was something sinister in the air tonight.

…

Wakana sat bolt upright at the sound of footsteps approaching Kisuke's office. The door slid open to reveal the man himself looking frighteningly downcast. "Kisuke?" Wakana asked, her voice concerned.

"Oh, Wakana…" Kisuke replied dully. "You're still here."

Wakana watched, apprehensive as he walked around to his chair and sat down. "Kisuke…what happened?" Wakana asked, almost afraid to hear the answer.

"It's like the announcement said. Captain Muguruma and Lieutenant Kuna have disappeared. Yamamoto sent a group out to investigate. Hiyori's out there too…" The last part was said as a guilty whisper.

Wakana watched her old friend mournfully. "Kisuke…"

"You should probably head back to your Squad," Kisuke interrupted suddenly. "Captain Hirako was on of the people sent out to investigate. They probably need you over there."

Wakana watched Kisuke for a moment longer. She wanted to stay, but it was clear that nothing she would be able to say would console him. "Alright Kisuke…" she said quietly as she headed towards the door. "I'll see you later."

Wakana crossed the Seireitei with quick shunpo steps. What she had learned had definitely not assuaged her fears. Something strange was happening tonight…

As Wakana landed silently outside the Squad Five compound she noticed a shadowy figure leaping away over the wall. Wakana frowned, curious, and then followed.

She chased the dark figure for nearly a mile as it moved from shadow to shadow until a beam of moonlight illuminated whom it was. "Lieutenant Aizen!" Wakana couldn't stop herself from gasping.

Aizen paused on a rooftop and looked over his shoulder. Deciding that there was no one there after all he faced forward and continued on. Wakana peeked out from behind the wall that she had hidden behind. Where was he going? Wakana had no idea, but the urge to follow him was strong. Silently she leapt out from behind the wall and followed Aizen, careful to maintain enough distance from him to not be noticed.

…

Wakana lost Aizen at some point in the Rukon District, but she had continued on though she didn't know what was propelling her. Eventually she came to a forest and slowed to a walk, making her way carefully through the trees. Suddenly she could feel several spiritual pressures in the distance one of which she recognized as her captain's. He and the other Soul Reapers were fighting something that had a strange, frightening spiritual pressure.

Eventually Wakana came to a clearing, which she paused on the edge of. In the middle of the clearing she could make of the form of Captain Hirako, Kisuke's Lieutenant Hiyori under one of his arms, as well as Captains Love Aikawa and Rojuro Otoribashi, Lieutenant Lisa Yadomaru, and the Lieutenant of the Kido Corps Hachigen Ushoda.

And they were fighting… "Captain Muguruma!" Wakana gasped in horror, recognizing the '69' tattoo on his stomach. It was him, but it was not him. There was a white mask like a Hollow's over his face and his spiritual pressure felt like a Hollow's too.

Wakana watched in horror as her captain and the others fought with Muguruma and his lieutenant, who had also appeared wearing a Hollow mask. Their strength was incredible and no matter what the other Captains tried they couldn't seem to subdue them.

Finally Hachigen used a high level bakudo and managed to restrain Muguruma and Kuna. Wakana, who had watched the entire fight in mute horror felt sure that it was finally over. Suddenly there was a burst of spiritual pressure from Hiyori. A white mask appeared on her face and the horn on it dealt a vicious slash to Hirako's side.

Wakana backed away as Hiyori stood on her own and let out a feral roar. She should get help, Wakana thought, terrified. She had to go get help! But she paused as a strange darkness swiftly shrouded the clearing. When the darkness finally lifted she was horrified to see that all the Soul Reapers had been cut down by the lone figure still standing in the clearing. Transfixed Wakana watched as Kaname Tosen, an officer from Squad Nine that she vaguely recognized, remove his goggles and mask.

Wakana gasped and covered her mouth in shock. Tosen had done this? He had betrayed Muguruma? She heard her Captain asking the same questions, but it wasn't Tosen that answered. "He didn't betray him. He is loyal. He just loyally followed my orders, that's all."*

Wakana would recognize that smooth, cultured voice anywhere. "Lieutenant Aizen…?" she gasped quietly, unable to believe her eyes as Aizen entered the clearing followed by Gin Ichimaru, Squad Five's young Fourth-seat.

Wakana watched, frozen, as Aizen confronted Hirako. As Hirako told Aizen that he had always been suspicious of him and watched him closely. As Aizen agreed that this was true and that this was why he had been able to deceive Hirako using his zanpakuto. Wakana just couldn't wrap her head around it. Aizen had done this? Aizen had betrayed not only their captain, but their Squad and all of Soul Society? Quiet, but kind Lieutenant Aizen? Why? She didn't understand!

"Aizen!" Hirako stood suddenly and drew his sword, intent to attack in every line of his body. He was stopped, however, as a thick white substance suddenly exploded from his mouth and eye.

Wakana watched, terrified, as Hirako swayed where he stood, the white substance quickly congealing to form a mask over the left side of his face. Suddenly the same white substance exploded from the faces of the other Soul Reapers lying on the ground.

Hirako turned back to Aizen. "What is this?"* he screamed.

"As we thought. It looks like an agitated state accelerates the Hollowfication,"* Aizen commented calmly.

"Hollowfication? What is that supposed to mean?"*

"You don't need to know."*

Wakana backed away as Hirako began to scream. Hollowfication? Turning Soul Reapers into Hollows? Help…she should go get help, she though numbly. But she just couldn't make herself turn and leave. Terror had her rooted to the ground.

Suddenly Hiyori moved, flashing towards Aizen. Tosen stepped in between them and quickly cut her down. "Hiyori!" Hirako cried, charging forwards, his sword clashing with Tosen's. They began to fight and it was quickly clear that Hirako could still overpower Tosen easily. In fact it seemed as though Hirako was even stronger than before.

Finally Hirako knocked Tosen into the ground, hard. As he emerged from the rubble Hirako began to shake and abruptly he coughed, sending more of the strange white substance creeping down his body.

"I suppose it's time to end it, Captain Hirako." Aizen said, stepping forward as he unsheathed his sword. "In the end, remember one thing. Betrayal you can see is trivial. What is truly frightening is betrayal you cannot see, Captain Hirako."* Aizen raised his sword high into the air, the moonlight glinting off the blade. "Goodbye. You people were wonderful test subjects."*

"_Stop!_"

Wakana hadn't been able to take it anymore. She should have run, she should have gone for help. But she couldn't leave her captain at the mercy of her…of her traitorous lieutenant. It was painful for her to even think it, despite what she had just witnessed.

"Please, Lieutenant Aizen stop!" Wakana cried as she stumbled into the clearing.

Aizen lowered his sword. "Ah Third-seat Tsukino. I was beginning to wonder if you were going to hide in the woods all night."

"Tsukino!" Hirako gasped. "What are you doing here? Get the hell away!" Apparently shouting was too much for him, however, as he quickly doubled over, coughs racking his body.

"Captain Hirako!" Wakana cried. Then the horror and terror of the night began to coalesce, turning to hurt and anger. Why? Why did this have to happen?, she thought as she looked around at all the other Soul Reapers prone on the ground. How had this happened?

"Aizen!" Wakana screamed, turning to him with tears forming in the corners of her eyes. "Why did you do this? Why did you betray us?"

"Betray?" Aizen replied coolly, pushing his glasses up his nose. "This is not betrayal. I'm simply furthering my research."

"You're research?" Wakana nearly choked on the words, as the rage they inspired coursed through her body. "What the hell do you mean by that?"

"It's quite simple, actually, Third-seat Tsukino. I have a goal. And in order to reach it I will do anything and everything necessary." The threat was clear in Aizen's voice. "This was but one of many steps."

Wakana was so furious that she was shaking. There was no goal, _nothing_, that could possibly excuse what Aizen had done here tonight. "That may be how you feel Aizen…" Wakana said softly, her eyes focused on the ground. She then lifted her head and met his gaze with her own and shouted, "But you're a traitor and I'll stop you here and now!"

"Don't Tsukino!" Hirako shouted, but she ignored her captain. Wakana drew her sword and charged. Tosen quickly leapt in front of Aizen and they exchanged blows, the clearing ringing with the sound of steel on steel.

Wakana and Tosen sprang apart. "Don't take me lightly Tosen!" she shouted. "Sing, Tennyo!" Spiritual pressure exploded around her as her zanpakuto released into its shikai state.

Wakana charged forward again and swung her zanpakuto, the bell at the base of blade letting out a horrible jarring tone that echoed through the air. Tosen, being blind, had better than average hearing and collapsed to the ground, writhing, with his hands clasped over his ears.

Wakana jumped over him and charged towards Aizen. He raised his blade and their zanpakuto's met. They clashed several times until they came to a standstill, Wakana straining against Aizen.

Aizen smirked condescendingly at Wakana. "Do you really think you can defeat me _Third-seat_ Tsukino? I haven't even had to move my feet yet."

Wakana looked down and ground her teeth together. Aizen was right. Wakana suddenly leapt away. "It will take more than that to beat you," she admitted grudgingly. Wakana took a deep breath and closed her eyes for a moment.

"Oh?" Aizen said lightly. "This could be interesting."

Wakana's eyes snapped open again and she leapt straight up into the air. "Ban-!" Before she could finish the word there was the horrible sound of steel piercing flesh and she was skewered through her ribcage by an impossibly long zanpakuto.

Aizen looked back at the boy behind him in mild surprise. "Sorry, Lieutenant Aizen," Ichimaru said, not sounding the least bit apologetic. "I thought that perhaps it would better if we finished things up here."

"That's alright Gin," Aizen replied turning back to watch Wakana fall as Ichimaru withdrew his sword.

"Tsukino!" Hirako shouted as Wakana struggled to her feet.

"I must say you are far more persistent than I expected," Aizen commented.

"Shut up." Wakana spat. She coughed, blood spraying from her mouth. Wakana drew in a deep breath to cough again and suddenly she couldn't breath. She collapsed to her knees, as the world seemed to shake around her.

She managed to draw in a breath and cough, but instead of blood spilling from her mouth there was the thick, white substance that had affected her captain and the other Soul Reapers. It was happening to her too? She was going to…to be Hollowfied?

"I suppose it would be kinder to put you out of your misery now. I doubt you will survive the Hollowfication process." Wakana looked up and saw Aizen standing before her, his blade raised high in the air. "Good bye Third-seat Tsukino." Pain suddenly exploded inside her chest and she could her captain screaming a curse behind her. As Wakana opened her mouth to scream she saw a dark figure out of the corner of her eye.

The dark figure flew towards Aizen and there was the sound of steel clashing. The figure, draped in a dark coat and hood, landed some distance away and Aizen turned to face him. The edges of Wakana's vision were going dark as she collapsed to the ground, but she still turned her face towards the figure.

It was…Kisuke.

**...**

I open my eyes to find myself seated and leaning against the tree. I look up and see Tennyo watching me with a worried expression. "You're awake," she says, relieved.

"What happened?" I ask, as I sit up. Geez, I'm stiff all over.

"You collapsed. You entered Wakana's memories?"

I nod slowly. "Yea…" That particular memory was one I could probably have done without. "It ended when Urahara showed up. What happened afterwards?"

Wakana sighs, deep sadness in her eyes. As she begins to speak images once again flash before my eyes.

"Kisuke Urahara and Tessai Tsukabishi, who was then the Commander of the Kido Corps, managed to stop Aizen that night, but unfortunately he escaped before they could capture him and his accomplices. Using several illegal kido techniques Tessai transported Wakana and the rest of the Soul Reapers who had been affected by Aizen's Hollowfication back to Squad Twelve. Kisuke was wracked with guilt, so he attempted to treat the Hollowfication with an object that he had been developing called the Hogyoku. The treatment was unsuccessful."

"The next morning Kisuke and Tessai were arrested and charged with conducting the Hollowfication experiments. Aizen had accused them of his deeds and with all the Hollowfied Soul Reapers in the Twelve Squad barracks and Kisuke's reputation for experimentation there was little he could do to prove his innocence. Wakana and the rest of Aizen's test subjects were sentenced to death because Central 46 was afraid that they wouldn't be able to control themselves. During Kisuke's and Tessai's interrogation before Central 46 Yoruichi Shihoin broke in and rescued them. She brought both of them and all the Hollowfied Soul Reapers to a secret area where Kisuke and Yoruichi had trained as youngsters. There Kisuke decided that he was going to create gigais for everyone and use them to escape into the World of the Living. Kisuke's plan was successful and everyone has been living in the World of the Living since then. The Hollowfied Soul Reapers, who named themselves the Vizards, are still wanted by the Soul Society, which is why you were captured when you were mistaken for Wakana."

I am quiet for a long time as I think everything over. Tennyo's story explains a lot of things. And it seems that Wakana's memories are mine now. I can reminisce through them as easily as my own. But there's till one big, gaping hole.

"But why did Wakana give me her powers?"

Tennyo sighs yet again. I briefly wonder how much she's suffered through all of this.

"At the beginning the Vizards were all united. They only had each other and without each other's help they would have been overcome by the Hollows that were created within them and lose themselves. One by one they all gained control of their Hollows. All except for Wakana. As far as I can tell she was the most heavily affected by everything that had happened. She changed… She became very bitter and angry, lashing out at those around her and blaming them for what had happened. She was unwilling to come to terms with the fact that a Hollow now existed within her soul. All the other Vizards tried to convince that she needed to learn how to control her Hollow, especially Shinji Hirako, but she ignored them. I think that she hoped that if she just disregarded the Hollow growing within her soul that it would disappear. Eventually Wakana got in a very bad fight with Shinji, one that nearly came to blows, and she left the Vizards."

"She began to wander, traveling all over the World of the Living in an attempt to ignore her Hollow. But, slowly it got stronger, and Wakana began to lose control over her body to it for short stretches of time. Wakana began to lose control for longer stretches about ten years before you were born. Finally a year before your birth she went to Kisuke and gave him her zanpakuto, my physical form. She told him that it was too dangerous for her to carry it anymore and he agreed to hold onto it until she returned. My soul left her zanpakuto and it remained as an ordinary sword until Kisuke gave it to you."

"And then one night she came upon your mother passed out drunk on a park bench. She was pregnant with you and near her time to give birth…but you were so weak. You had managed to survive somehow throughout the pregnancy and just a few hours from birth Wakana could feel your life slipping away. Wakana was also on the verge of losing against her Hollow for good and being devoured. So she decided that she would sacrifice her life for yours. She gave you all of her energy and saved your life, giving up her own in the process. However, and while I'm certain that she didn't mean to, she also transferred all of her Soul Reaper powers to you and with them her memories. Her powers lay dormant inside you until five years ago when you were nearly killed in that car crash. You were so desperate to live that you reached deep inside yourself and woke me. I saved your life and your mother's and my powers have been slowly growing ever since. When you came to Karakura you were exposed to Ichigo Kurosaki's constantly leaking spiritual pressure. My powers grew exponentially within you in response."

I blink in surprise as Tennyo abruptly stops speaking. It seems that it's the end of her story…and it sure is a lot to wrap my head around. Somehow I don't feel so uncomfortable with having Wakana's memories knowing that she saved my life. That she sacrificed her life for mine. That's a debt that I don't know how I'll ever repay…

"Now I expect you'll want to know what all this has to do with your questioning in Central 46 today?"

I feel a bit embarrassed because, to be honest, I'd completely forgotten about that. Tennyo can read me like an open book though. "It's alright," she assures me with a kind smile. "What I've told you is certainly overwhelming. But as for Central 46...Aizen is up to something again." Her voice at the end is cold enough to raise the hairs on the back of my neck.

"You mean that spiritual pressure I felt there?" Now that I have Wakana's memories I'm able to recognize it. Tennyo nods. "What does that mean though? There was definitely something wrong…" I murmur to myself.

"Do you remember what the power of Aizen's zanpakuto is?" Tennyo asks me quietly.

I dive into Wakana's memories and quickly find the answer. "Kyoka Suigetsu. Complete hypnosis."

Tennyo nods gravely. "Yes."

Slowly the dots begin to connect in my mind. "So he was using his zanpakuto in Central 46? That's why it felt like his spiritual pressure was everywhere?"

"I believe so."

"But why?"

"I'm afraid that I don't know the answer to that. But I'm certain that everything that has happened to the people around you recently is no accident.

My gaze snaps to Tennyo's as surprise and something akin to dread runs through me. "You mean Rukia getting arrested?"

"Yes," Tennyo replies grimly. "But I believe it runs even deeper than that. Aizen is incredibly clever and very manipulative. I think that he had something to do with Ichigo acquiring his powers."

Shock jolts through me and leaves anger behind. That bastard Aizen has been messing with Ichigo? "So what do we do?"

Tennyo is more solemn than I've ever seen her. "We must stop him."

It takes a moment for that to sink in. I find myself unable to make eye contact. Tennyo wants me stop an evil mastermind? One that outsmarted Urahara? I can't do that. I mean I'm locked in jail! But still…I agree that Aizen's up to something. Using his zanpakuto in Central 46 is just way too suspicious. And I doubt anyone else is watching him. I'm sure Aizen's clever enough to make sure that everyone in the Seireitei trusts him before making another move.

Lives have been destroyed by him. Wakana's. I owe her for my life. All the other Vizards. I don't know them…I've never even seen them before. But somehow, through Wakana's memories, I feel like I know them and that they deserve my help too. And then there's Ichigo and Rukia. Everything that's happened in the World of the Living…

It was Aizen. He _cannot_ be allowed to continue. And the only one who can stop him is me.

I look up at Tennyo again and meet her eyes with as much conviction as I can muster. I'm scared- terrified actually- but there's no way in hell I'm going to let Aizen move again. "Let's do it."

Tennyo's smiles back me, eagerness and vengeance in her eyes.

…**The next day…**

Renji was clutching the bar of Rukia's cell so hard so that he was certain his hand was going to break as he listened to his captain emotionlessly tell Rukia that Central 46 had sentenced her to death. Renji couldn't believe it. He had the sudden feeling that he was falling off the face of the Earth.

Byakuya watched Rukia's back for a moment longer, but she neither said anything nor moved. With regret and guilt heavy in his heart he turned away, certain that he would not see her again until her execution. Instead he walked over to the cell of Taylor Smithson.

Byakuya was rather surprised as she met his eye steadily. She had not uttered word about Rukia's sentence. "As for you Taylor Smithson, Central 46 has found you innocent of the charges brought against you. It is believed that at some point Wakana Tsukino managed to transfer her powers to you, allowing you to wield her zanpakuto."

Surprise flickered briefly in Taylor's eyes, but it quickly disappeared beneath cold shrewdness. "However, Central 46 cannot allow you to return to the World of the Living while Tsukino's powers are intact. You will be taken to Squad Twelve where they will remove Tsukino's powers from you. You will then be returned to the World of the Living as an ordinary human."

Byakuya turned back towards Renji. "Escort Smithson to Squad Twelve, Renji."

"Y-yes sir," Renji answered, but if he was honest he had hardly heard what his captain had said. Byakuya then swept from the room leaving a tense silence behind him.

**"Hey! Don't be sad! They could still change their minds!" Renji tried his best to sound upbeat, but it was difficult to keep his voice steady as he turned towards Rukia.

"I'm not sad," Rukia replied quietly.

"Don't lie! Your obviously disconsolate!" Renji shouted, suddenly angry, as he kicked the bars of Rukia's cell. "Hey! Eyes over here!"

Rukia was quite for a moment and then, "That ruling came from Central 46. It can't be overturned. But it's all right. I knew this was going to happen from the beginning. There's no use…" Rukia stopped midsentence sounding choked.

"Rukia…" Renji didn't know what to say.

"Gotcha!" Rukia suddenly turned around a big smile on her face. Renji watched with growing consternation as Rukia teased him and threatened to escape.

Renji suddenly got angry again. Didn't Rukia realize how serious this was? "I could care less about you and your problems!" Renji shouted as he snapped. "Just sit here and rot! I can't wait for your execution!" He then stormed from the room, slamming the door behind him.

Renji leaned against the door outside, feeling empty. _Escape? Idiot!,_ he thought fiercely. _You're getting the ultimate punishment, the worst!...Ultimate punishment…_

Renji watched as his captain walked away. He was Rukia's brother… _Will you really allow this to happen Captain Kuchiki?_**

As if Renji's thoughts had magically alerted him Byakuya paused and glanced over his shoulder. "Aren't you forgetting something Renji?"

Renji started, chagrined. "Y-yes sir! Sorry sir!" Byakuya held Renji's gaze for a moment longer before turning and moving away.

Renji reentered the cellblock. He completely ignored Rukia and she completely ignored him as he went over to Taylor's cell and unlocked it. "C'mon," Renji ordered gruffly as he opened the door. Without a word Taylor obeyed and followed him out of the cellblock.

It was a while before Renji's preoccupation broke enough to notice that Taylor hadn't spoken a word to him yet. He glanced over his shoulder at her and saw that she looked deep in thought. That was different…in fact she seemed completely different today. "You're being awfully quiet," Renji accused.

Taylor started, clearly not paying much attention to him. "Am I?" she asked vaguely. Renji scowled at her. Suddenly Taylor's eyes refocused on him and she smirked deviously. "What?" she drawled. "Don't tell me your going to miss me, pineapple-head?"

Renji's entire body twitched. "Like hell!" He turned away from her and picked up his pace, eager to get this errand over with. Behind him Taylor sniggered.

They walked for a while longer until Taylor spoke again. "Don't worry about Rukia." Renji was so taken aback that he stopped midstride swiveling around to stare at her. "She'll be fine," Taylor continued wearing a confident smirk this time.

Renji stared blankly at Taylor before turning away again. How could she be so…sure?

…**In the World of the Living…one week later…**

Explosions lit the sky as Ichigo's father, sisters, and Keigo cheered. It was finally the fireworks festival and with his training with Urahara over he was glad that he got this last chance to enjoy his summer break with the people he cared about. Another firework exploded in the sky and everyone around him cheered. It was almost perfect…

Except that Taylor wasn't there. Ichigo's chest ached as he thought if her. It was hard to believe that it'd been only ten days since she and Rukia had been taken. It felt like it had been so much longer… Ichigo found that he missed Taylor terribly. It was silly, really that he missed her some much, Ichigo thought somewhat embarrassed even within the confines of his own mind. She had managed to work her way deeper into his heart than he'd ever realized.

Ichigo laid back on the riverbank and idly thought about what the festival would have been like if Taylor was there. Dealing with his delinquent father and tipsy sisters might not have seemed like such a chore. And could've made of move on her. Held her hand maybe. Tried that old 'stretch-and-then-put-your-arm-around-her-shoulders' trick. Maybe he even would have tried to kiss her. Just the thought made the color rise in Ichigo's face.

He sighed wistfully. Taylor may not have been there, but Ichigo wasn't about to waste the last ten days. He had worked his ass off and he was ready. In one week he was going to go to the Soul Society and rescue Taylor and Rukia. He _would_ bring her back, Ichigo vowed silently to himself as another firework, this one bright gold, exploded overhead.

**Author's Note:**

_So here, at last, is the explanation for pretty much everything. I spent a lot of time working on the flashback and Tennyo's explanation so I hoped everyone liked it. And if you didn't…well you should probably just stop reading this story now. This is how I've worked my plot into canon and I'm going to run with it from this point on._

_Actually originally (like way back in the summer of 2007 when I started this story) I was going to have Wakana be the Captain of Squad Five with Aizen as her Lieutenant that would do something awful and then pin her for it. Apparently I'm on the same brain wavelength as Tite Kubo :). But since we already know whom the captain of Squad Five was when Aizen was Lieutenant I decided to make Wakana Third-seat and bump Ichimaru down a spot. I have to say I'm happy with the way I've worked everything into canon._

_Citations:_

_*Japanese language with English subtitles, Episode 211, by Hulu. (I used the episode for this because I don't own the manga volume that it's in)_

_Between the **English language, Vol. 8, Ch. 65., by Viz.- includes all the dialogue and Renji's italicized thoughts._

_Eight reviews! Thank you Shannyrox101, bleach fan no 1, MikaBee2434LOVE, Shaybo27, ShatterTheHeavens, indescribable music, and bored 411 for being awesome and reviewing! You guys are the reason I update!_

_I just realized this but…this story is almost over! I'm not sure how many more chapters there will be because it will depend on how I divide stuff up, but we're getting really close to the end here. Scary thoughts!_

_Thanks for reading! _

_**imagination junkie**_


	17. Jailbreak

**Disclaimer:** _I do not own Bleach or anyone or anything from Bleach. It's as simple as that. Everything else, however, is mine. :D _

**Chapter 17: Jailbreak**

So I had this perfect plan. Play along with the whole go to Squad 12 thing, wait for my opportunity, escape, and then take Aizen out. Good plan right? Not so much. Actually nothing in this plan has gone the way it was supposed to. I got delivered to Squad 12 just fine, but the rest has turned out to be rather…difficult.

Mayuri Kurotsuchi was not a particularly pleasant man in Wakana's memories, but after a hundred years he's become infinitely worse. He's creepy and so cruel that it's hard to believe that he was once human. While Central 46's orders were to see if Wakana's powers could be removed without harming me as far as Kurotsuchi is concerned I'm just another test subject. And apparently I'm his new favorite.

Kurotsuchi may call what he's doing to me "research", but as far as I can tell it's closer to torture. Several times a day he cuts on me, pokes me, shocks me- pretty much everything short of killing me. Not only has this weakened me physically and mentally, but he also keeps siphoning off my spiritual pressure so I feel even worse. It's like I keep falling deeper into a pit in my own mind. Maybe it's some kind of defense mechanism for me to escape the pain. It's getting hard for me to keep track of the passage of time. The cells where us guinea pigs are kept are all underground. It's probably only been about a week, but it feels like it could be months. Even years. My throat went raw long ago from screaming.

He's in the middle of one our sessions when something unusual happens. Kurotsuchi is just about to inject me with something when we are interrupted by the door to the lab being unceremoniously thrown open. "Captain Kurotsuchi, sir!" a Soul Reaper shouts into the room. His voice seems to come to me through a thick curtain "You're needed outside sir!"

"Go away! Can't you see I'm busy right now?" Kurotsuchi replies irritably without turning around. I roll my head around so I can see the doorway. The Soul Reaper looks to be a member of Squad Twelve that doesn't work the Research Department. He seems uncertain about what to do.

"But sir…" Definitely more hesitant. "There's an emergency."

"An emergency? _An emergency?_ What emergency could possibly be so important that you dare to interrupt my research?" The poor idiot cringes at the sound of his Captain's screeching. Even if Kurotsuchi doesn't care I'm rather curious now despite my pain and weakness induced haze.

"Captain Kurotsuchi, sir…" The Soul Reaper is clearly terrified now, his voice shaking. "Ryoka have entered the Soul Society in the Rukon District. Everyone's on red alert. You're needed…needed at your duty station sir."

Ryoka? What the hell is a ryoka? The answer drifts slowly to the top of my mind. Right. Invaders in the Soul Society. Could that mean…? He's not here is he? My mind surfaces a little bit more as I struggle to consider that thought's implications. I hope he's not here. It's better if he's not here. As much as I try to tell myself that a tiny bud of hope begins to sprout in my chest.

Kurotsuchi seems to mull over his subordinate's words for a moment. Finally he gives an overly dramatic sigh and turns around. "Very well. I suppose all the rest of the fools in this place can't handle this without my help. I'm just about finished with this particular sample anyways." He carelessly throws the syringe over his shoulder where is lands with a loud clang in the tray next to the table where I'm chained down. I exhale silently, thankful for my respite.

The Soul Reaper in the doorway hastens to move as Kurotsuchi exits the room. He pauses in the doorway. "Nemu, take it back to its cell. And inform Squad 6 they can come and get it at their leisure. I've finished with my research." With these final infuriating words- really, it's like he thinks I'm some kind of animal- Kurotsuchi disappears.

I'd yell after him or something, but I'm too weak to. Instead I lay there quietly as Kurotsuchi's strangely obedient Lieutenant unchains me and carries me back to my cell. Tomorrow I'll finally be free of this. My relief is almost palpable.

…

"Did you hear?"

"About what?"

"Those ryoka!"

"Yea I heard…what's the big deal about them?"

The sounds of the guard's voices have awoken me. It must be sometime in the evening, when the shift changes. Initially I was just going to try and go back to sleep, but I'm unable to ignore my curiosity about the ryoka. I have this _need_ to know if it's really him or if I'm just imagining things.

"Well…"

"Just get to the point!"

"They defeated Jidanbo!"

"What? No way!"

Jidanbo…I search Wakana's memories and find that he is the guardian of the west gate to the Seireitei. A giant of a man with incredible strength. I lift my head up a little higher, trying to hear better. Could it really be Ichigo? But he wouldn't have been able to defeat the Jidanbo guy before.

"Yea, I know, crazy right? Anyways, after that Jidanbo opened the gate for them…but Captain Ichimaru was there."

Ichimaru? My blood runs ice cold at just the sound of his name. If it really was Ichigo then…then… I wait on pins and needles to hear the rest.

"Oh, well…I guess they're dead then right?"

"No! That's the thing. Captain Ichimaru didn't kill them. Said that he didn't think they were that big of a threat."

"So they're just running around in the Rukon District?"

"That's what I've heard."

"That's insane. Who the hell are these ryoka if they can defeat Jidanbo and then get away from Ichimaru alive?"

"Dunno. I heard there are four of them. And the one that got away from Ichimaru was a Soul Reaper with orange hair and a giant zanpakuto."

My body goes lax with the shock of this news as I tune the rest of their conversation out. Ichigo's here. He's really here. Why is he here? That idiot! What does he think he can accomplish? He's going to get himself killed!

But at the same time I'm ecstatic. He's here! Ichigo's really here! He's come to rescue Rukia and I, I'm certain of it. The little bud of hope that sprouted earlier today is now in full bloom. I feel so much better just knowing that he's in the same dimension of me.

But that guard said that there were four ryoka…I'm sure one is Uryuu. But who could the other two be? It's not Orihime and Chad is it? Surely they're not strong enough to handle coming here. But, I'm sure Urahara (because of course he had a hand in this) wouldn't have sent them or even Ichigo without making sure they were ready. At least I hope not.

I roll over on my pitiful excuse for a futon. There's no point in worrying over this right now. As I try to fall back into the sleep that I'm almost certain I won't get tonight, I can feel the hope that Ichigo's and the other's arrival gives me. For the first time since I arrived in Squad 12, I begin to plan my escape again.

…

Ichigo watched the sun set over the Seireitei. Things hadn't gone…exactly as planned. They had gotten to the Soul Society all right. And he had easily defeated the gatekeeper Jidanbo. Ichigo's hands tightened into fists. If it hadn't been for that silver-hair, smiling bastard he would already be in the Seireitei and on his way to rescuing them.

The wall was so high. The only things in the Seireitei that Ichigo could make out were the roofs of the buildings. Ichigo's heart ached through his frustration. He was so irritated. They were right over there! And yet he couldn't get to them…to her…

Taylor.

"Ichigo!"

Ichigo looked around at the sound of his name. On the ground, below the tower where he sat, were Uryuu, Orihime, and Chad. "Get down here already! We've got strategy to discuss!" Uryuu yelled again.

Ichigo reluctantly turned away from his view of the Seireitei and jumped down. He stood for a moment facing his three friends, Mr. Yoruichi in Orihime's arms.

"Are you ok, Ichigo?" Orihime asked him tentatively.

"Hmph. There's no need to worry you know. There's more than one way to get into the Seireitei." As always Mr. Yoruichi managed sound both haughty and wise.

They were worried about him, Ichigo realized.

"I know." Ichigo surprised himself as much as his friends with his confidence. But he just couldn't help the small smirk that crossed his features. They had come this far hadn't they? There was no way that Ichigo was going back without her now. "Come on," Ichigo said over his shoulder as he walked away from the tower, self-assurance in every stride. "Didn't you say there was some strategy we needed to discuss?"

…

It's not until the second day after Ichigo's arrival that Squad Six comes to get me. I'm awakened by the sound of the door of my cell unlocking and manage to scramble to my feet before it opens. I'm pleased that my day of rest has given my spiritual pressure a chance to start recovering.

The door swings open and reveals one of Squad 12's guards and a dark-haired kid with beads hanging in his hair. I recognize him almost immediately. He's the kid who follows the Sixth's redheaded baboon of a Lieutenant around.

"Good morning Ms. Smithson," he says, bobbing a slightly nervous bow to me. I doubt that it's me who's intimidating, though. Especially after being Kurotsuchi's test subject for a week. Being inside the Squad 12 research facility would make anyone uncomfortable.

"Let's get this over with," I reply, doing my best to sound bored as I hold out my hands so the kid can put the spiritual pressure sealing handcuffs on them. I decided earlier that if I'm going to make a break for it the best time will be while I'm on my way back to the Sixth. And they're even helping me out by sending this kid instead of the Lieutenant or a higher officer. It really is now or never.

I follow quietly behind the kid until we get outside where I'm forced to pause to shield my eyes. The rising sun is ridiculously bright after being underground for so long. "Are you alright?" the kid asks, looking back to see why I've stopped.

"Yea, I'm fine," I say, blinking tears out of my eyes. This is definitely not the time to be distracted. I need to be completely focused if I'm going to get away.

We walk on for a while more until the kid suddenly stops. Cocking his head to the side he asks, "Do you hear something?"

I pause and listen. At first I don't hear anything and then a faint whistling noise comes to my ears, like a baseball bat being swung through the air. It quickly grows louder.

Both of us are looking around, searching for the source of the noise when someone nearby shouts "The sky!"

I look up and see a bluish ball of light soaring through the sky towards us. "It's going to hit the barrier!" the kid shouts.

The noise has nearly hit earsplitting when the strange ball collides with the barrier created by the sekkiseki stone that makes up the wall. The impact creates a massive boom that shakes the ground. I stumble around trying to keep my footing as people begin to yell and Soul Reapers run in all directions.

The ball is pushing against the barrier, a rumbling sound filling the air around us. And then, suddenly, it explodes. There are screams and more shouting around me, but I couldn't care less. That ball was made of spiritual pressure and I recognize almost all of them immediately.

Hope swells in my chest. The main force of the spiritual pressure was Ichigo's, but I can feel Uryuu's, Orihime's, and Chad's too. There's also another spiritual pressure I don't recognize and one more that is familiar through Wakana's memories, but I don't take the time to think about it.

Ichigo and the others are here! I can even see them if a squint real hard. Suddenly I'm not so worried about them coming to the Soul Society anymore. I mean if they can break through the sekkiseki barrier like that then they must be ready. And they've also given me the perfect distraction so I can make my escape.

I look around covertly as the energy above begins to spin. The street we're on is empty, however, and the kid's attention is completely focused on the sky. I raise my arms above my head and then bring them down as hard as I can on the back of his head. He collapses to the ground like a stone as the corner of my cuffs hits his skull.

"Sorry kid, " I mutter as I search his pockets for the keys. I find them, unlock the cuffs, and gathering my recovered spiritual pressure I shunpo away, intending to put as much distance between myself and the kid as possible while everyone is distracted.

I pause on a rooftop as the swirling energy explodes again. Everyone is shot off in four different directions and now that my spiritual pressure has adjusted to the Soul Society I can track them all. I watch as Ichigo and the spiritual pressure I don't recognize crash to the ground not too far from me.

I want to go to him. The pulling feeling in my chest is almost irresistible. But I can't yet. I still have other things to take care of, the first of which is getting my zanpakuto back. But, as I turn away, I promise myself that I'll go and find him soon.

…

Ichigo perked up when he saw Ikkaku finally open his eyes. *"You're awake huh?"

Ikkaku then proceeded to yell at Ichigo about saving his life. Ichigo, however, was not really in the mood to listen. When the tirade had died down Ichigo stood up. "Anyway I don't really care how you feel. I just want the answers to a few questions."

"Of course you do. That's just my luck. What do you want to know? My birthday?" Ikkaku asked sarcastically.

"Where's Rukia Kuchiki?"

Surprise crossed Ikkaku's face. "Kuchiki? The prisoner? What do you want with that thing?"

"I came here to save her," Ichigo answered with complete certainty.

"What?" And then Ikkaku began to laugh. Ichigo waited, irritated, until Ikkaku laughed so hard that he reopened his wounds and was forced to stop. Finally Ikkaku calmed down and told Ichigo where Rukia was.

Ichigo was surprised. He figured he'd have to do some more wrangling to get Ikkaku to talk. "R-really?" Ichigo asked once Ikkaku was finished.

"You don't believe me?" Ikkaku exclaimed, clearly insulted. "She means nothing to me! If you want to save her go and do it! And hurry before the others find you! Go now!"*

"I've got just one more question," Ichigo said. Surprise crossed Ikkaku's face again. Ichigo took a deep breath and asked the question he had been dying to ask. He would have asked about her first, but he wanted to make sure that Ikkaku would cooperate. "Where's Taylor Smithson?"

Ikkaku's brow furrowed in confusion. "Who's that?"

Ichigo had been afraid of that too. That any old run-of-the-mill Soul Reaper he ran into wouldn't know who she was. "She was captured at the same time as Rukia was except that they think she's someone else."

"Oh…" Ikkaku said contemplatively. Ichigo waited with bated breath for him to continue. "Yea I know who you're talking about now. I think they said something about finding her not guilty. Mistaken identity or something. That they were gonna remove her powers and then said her back to the human world. I'm sorry, but that's all I know about her."

Ichigo breathed a massive sigh as relief temporarily left his body limp. It sounded like Taylor was safe, for now anyways. "It's alright," Ichigo said, standing and turning away. "Thanks. *I owe you one, Ikkaku."

"Don't make me vomit."

Ichigo set off, new determination powering his steps. It was driving him insane that he couldn't save her yet, but if Taylor was safe it would probably be best to concentrate on rescuing Rukia for now. As far as Ichigo knew Rukia was still in danger of being killed. First though he needed to find Ganju.

"Wait." Ichigo paused, surprised, as Ikkaku called out to him. "Of all in your group who is the strongest?"*

…

As much trouble as having Wakana's memories has gotten me in, there are definitely some benefits too. For one thing I now know the layout of the Seireitei's maze of streets so it isn't hard to figure out exactly where I need to go. I also now know many of the Seireitei's rules and procedures. In short, I know where Tennyo is.

I also can do techniques that I wasn't able to before, like shunpo. It isn't even that hard really. Since Wakana knew how to do it all I have to do is copy what she does in the memories.

As I travel across the rooftops at the fastest shunpo clip that I can manage I track the progress of Ichigo and the others. Ichigo has already defeated a pretty powerful spiritual pressure and Uryuu has engaged his own. Everyone seems to be getting along just fine, which eases my worry a bit. And their arrival has thrown the Seireitei into chaos making it a lot easier for me to move around undetected.

Soon I reach the edges of the Squad Six compound and pause on a roof to observe. It is in just as much chaos as everywhere else. People run about everywhere while officers shout orders, trying to maintain some semblance of organization. As I quietly as I can I move across the roofs towards the center of the compound.

Tennyo is most likely locked in the room where most Soul Reapers leave their zanpakuto's when they're off duty. Spotting a promising looking building, and with no one around, I drop to ground. I steal onto the porch and open the first door I come across.

Well they aren't zanpakutos but I'm not going to complain about a room full of shihakushos right now. I slip inside, shut the door behind me, and dive into the piles searching for one that will fit. I finally find the right size of shihakusho and gratefully change into it, leaving the stupid white robe I've been forced to wear since my capture hidden in a corner.

I slip outside again and begin to walk down the porch, opening doors as I go. At one point two Soul Reapers come tearing up the porch towards me but I step out of the way, careful to hide my face behind my bangs, and they ignore me.

Just as I'm getting fed up with searching I throw open a door and find a room lined with racks for zanpaktuos with very few zanpakutos in it. I can't keep the triumphant grin from my face. Foouund it. I quickly inspect all the zanpakutos in the room, but it's not like I was really expecting them to leave Tennyo out in the open.

I end up in front of the locked door in the back of the room. This presents an interesting dilemma. Even if I knew where the key was I probably don't have time to go and get it. The door is almost certainly alarmed though, so once I break in I'm going to have to grab Tennyo and get out quick. Oh well. You can't have everything in life I guess.

I raise my hands in front of the lock and begin to gather spiritual energy around them. Kido is another one of those skills that I magically now know through Wakana's memories. "Hado number 31, Shakkaho!" The lock, and a good portion of the door, explodes and a siren starts to blare.

I push the door open. This room is much smaller and darker than the rest I've looked in. There are a few zanpakuto racks hanging on the walls, but only one zanpakuto. I can practically hear Tennyo calling me as I cross the room and wrap my hand around her hilt. Instantly I'm hit by a wave of calm as Tennyo greets me. As I slide my zanpakuto into my belt I feel about a thousand times better. I can do anything I set my mind to with her on my hip.

As I reenter the main room I can hear shouts and the sound of running footsteps. Uh oh. Time to go! I raise my hands towards the main doorway and gather my spiritual energy again. "Hado number 33, Sokatsui!"

There are anguished yells as my spell collides with doorway and explodes. I leap forward, easily passing unhindered through the smoke and debris. I glance to my right as my feet make contact with the porch. The red-haired Lieutenant is staring at me in wide-eyed astonishment. I'm unable to stop a smirk from turning up the corners of my mouth. My knees bend as I push spiritual pressure into my feet, preparing to take off in a shunpo step.

"See ya, pineapple head!"

…

The sun was setting. The blood loss was getting to Ichigo, making him woozy. He could barely stand. Renji Abarai, the man he had just defeated, grabbed the front of Ichigo's shihakusho and screamed, pleading **"Save her…save Rukia!"

"…I will,"** Ichigo promised him quietly.

His message passed along Renji began to collapse. But Ichigo couldn't let him pass out just yet. There was still something he needed to know. Something important he had to ask…

"Where's Taylor?" Ichigo managed to say, catching a hold of Renji's uniform as he fell. Renji blinked blearily up at Ichigo. "Please," Ichigo continued, his voice taking on its own pleading note. "I need to know."

A grudging grin graced Renji's lips. He thought back to the last time he had seen the blonde girl. She had been leaping through the debris of the wall she had just destroyed. He remembered her cheeky smirk, her parting farewell. She was something else. "You don't have to worry about her…she escaped."

Ichigo released Renji, unable to hold him up any longer, and he collapsed, unconscious. She had escaped. Ichigo's head was swimming with relief. Of course she had, he thought affectionately. He shouldn't have expected…anything less…from her…

Ichigo fell beside Renji, his mind finally claimed by blackness.

…

The sun begins to set as I decide to settle down for the night. In truth I'm exhausted and everything I've done today was really a bit too much with only some of my spiritual pressure recovered. Getting away from Squad 6 wasn't too much of an issue because they were in too much of a mess to really send out a good pursuit. I shupoed away for a bit before realizing that someone running over the rooftops probably looked suspicious. So I dropped down to the street and traveled that way. Blending in wasn't hard and though I got yelled at a few times no one was paying close enough attention to notice who I was.

I tried to keep track of everyone today as I moved. Everyone seems to be safe except for Ichigo. Well he might be safe. I'm not actually sure because his spiritual pressure completely disappeared earlier. It irked me a little bit because I was planning to go find him, but maybe it's better for him not to be running around in the open. It would be impossible for him not to attract attention with his massive spiritual pressure. I have no idea where he is now, but I hope he's ok.

Now I'm holed up in a storage shed in the strangely empty Squad 11 barracks. It's not as comfortable as a bed, but it's way better than my "futon" in Squad 12. I'm just drifting off to sleep when I feel Ichigo's spiritual energy erupting, clashing with none other than the red-haired baboon's. Before I know it I'm on my feet and in the doorway.

I freeze there. I want to go to him. I want to go to him so badly…but it's not a good idea. Already, I can feel other Soul Reapers moving towards them at the base of the Senzaikyu. What is Ichigo doing there I wonder briefly. I suppose they must have moved Rukia. And even if I did go there what could I do? I'm so tired now I can't even use shunpo anymore. Besides Ichigo can take Renji now. I have to make myself believe that or I might lose it with worrying.

But still…I bite my lip in indecision as my fingers squeeze the doorframe hard enough to turn my knuckles white. Their fight escalates quickly and it's all I can do to stand still as Ichigo is slowly overwhelmed. Suddenly Ichigo's spiritual pressure flares stronger then I've ever felt from him before. It's…incredible and it easily swallows Renji's. I sag against the doorframe in relief. He won.

Abruptly Ichigo's spiritual pressure disappears. "Ichigo!" I'm up across several rooftops before I sense it again. It's faint, but it's there. He's still alive. More Soul Reapers are closing in when Ichigo's spiritual pressure really does disappear in the same way it did this afternoon. That must mean that there are other people with him. He'll be safe, I try and assure myself.

Anyways I can't be jumping all over rooftops anymore tonight. I jump down and make my way back to the storage shed. I can figure out exactly what I'm going to do tomorrow. For now I need to sleep.

**Author's Note:**

_Chapter 17, yay! I sure hope no one thought I was really gonna leave Taylor sitting in Squad 12 until Ichigo came and got her. That's totally not Taylor's style. So she escaped. I guess the "torture" thing in Squad 12 might have been a bit much, but this is Kurotsuchi that we're talking about. And considering what he did to Uryuu's grandpa it didn't seem outside the realm of possibilities. And technically he isn't torturing her anyways- he's doing "research"._

_So Ichigo was in this chapter a lot. Mainly because I wanted to make sure that it was clear why he wasn't going after Taylor first. Also that whole thing about him sitting on a tower in the Rukon district looking at the Seireitei…apparently that's canon only in the anime. But I liked the idea so I stuck it in there. The kid who gets Taylor from Squad 12 is Rikichi. He's the one who has a mini Renji tattoo over his eyebrow. I didn't know his name when I wrote it and I'm too lazy to stick it in now that's done. And why are the Squad 11 barracks strangely empty? Be cause they all got beat up by Ichigo and Ganju! _

_In a side note the word document for this story is over 150 pages long now!_

_Citations:_

Between the * English language Volume 11, Chapter 89, by Viz.

Between the ** English language Volume 11, Chapter 98, by Viz.

_Eight more reviews! To be honest I was a little surprised that was all I got. I don't mean to sound like I'm complaining, but I figured I'd get a bigger response from the last chapter. Eight is still great though! Anyways a huge THANK YOU to Sora'struelover, Shannyrox101, bleach fan no 1, bored411, XxLunarRockerxX, indescribable music, and Shaybo27! You're all AWESOME! _

_Since some people seemed alarmed that we're only a few chapters away from the end of this story so I just wanted to remind everyone that THERE WILL BE A SEQUEAL!...and probably another squeal after that._

_Thanks for reading! _

_**imagination junkie**_


	18. The Long Awaited Heartwarming Reunion

**Disclaimer:** _I do not own Bleach or anyone or anything from Bleach. It's as simple as that. Everything else, however, is mine. :D _

**Chapter 18: The Long-Awaited Heartwarming Reunion**

The sun is up by the time I awake the next morning. While I didn't get much sleep last night it did give me time to think. Ichigo's gone to rescue Rukia, which certainly lifts that particular worry from my shoulders. And while he's doing that I'm going to stop Aizen. I don't really want to. I'd much rather go find Ichigo and just get the hell out of here. But I _cannot_ let Aizen be successful again.

So instead of heading towards the Senzaikyu when I leave the storage shed I turn towards Central 46. I haven't the faintest idea what Aizen's up to, but it seems like it's got something to do with Central 46 so that seems like the best place to start. Central 46 is the most heavily guarded location in the Seireitei so I can't get in there, but maybe I can find some kind of clue nearby.

My spiritual pressure has recovered some more today, but not quite all the way, so I set out at a slow, steady shunpo pace that I'm sure I can maintain for a while. I don't get very far before I'm startled so badly by a piercing scream that I nearly fall off the roof I've landed on. I pause, to try and catch my breath and calm my racing heart, as another scream comes. The screamer is clearly female and it sounds like she's saying something…it sounds like 'Captain Aizen'. What the hell?

A strange feeling of dread comes over me. Checking this out is a bad idea. I can feel it in my bones. But the draw to find out is stronger than the danger. I take off towards the sound of the screams as fast as I can go.

I come upon it all out once. The tops of the buildings that I've been moving across end abruptly, leaving a yawning, open space. I come to a screeching halt, my feet slipping and sliding across the tile roof in my haste to stop. I nearly careen off the edge of the building again. And on the wall of the building across from me hangs the body of Sosuke Aizen.

He is suspended in the air by his own zanpakuto, which has been driven through the center of his chest. Blood has dripped all the way down the wall to the ground below, creating a massive reddish-brown swathe of a stain. His eyes are open and glassy behind his glasses. It is…horrific. My stomach heaves rebelliously at the cruelty of the scene before me. For a brief moment all my hate for him is gone and all my suspicions about his current objectives dissolve in my repulsion at his gruesome death.

But…there's something wrong. Just like there was something wrong in Central 46. I can faintly feel his spiritual pressure hovering over the entire scene of his demise. I can feel it buzzing in the base of my skull. _Something isn't right here_. My roiling stomach calms and it feels like my entire body has gone cold. Is the entire thing an illusion? I can't be sure, but I'm suddenly certain that Sosuke Aizen is _not _dead.

I am snapped back to the world around me by more screaming. I recognize the voice as the one who was screaming before and when I look I see a brown-haired woman with a Lieutenant's badge on her arm bearing the character for 'five'. Several other Soul Reapers wearing Lieutenant's badges are gathered around her all staring at Aizen's body in mute horror. She suddenly draws her sword and charges…Gin Ichimaru.

Shit! I suddenly feel cold for a completely different reason. Ichimaru being here is definitely not good for me. Aizen's Lieutenant is blocked from attacking Ichimaru by a blonde haired man wearing a badge with the character for 'three'. I watch, transfixed, as the two Lieutenants scream at each other while Ichimaru calmly walks away. There is a sudden explosion as Aizen's Lieutenant releases her zanpakuto. Ichimaru's Lieutenant does the same, but just before the two can clash a young boy with snow white hair appears.

I'm startled to see that the boy is wearing a Captain's white haori emblazoned with the character for 'ten'. Since when was the Seireitei making children Captains? The kid must be strong to have such a high rank so young. The situation has been defused by the white haired boy's arrival and he quickly orders the arrest of Ichimaru's and Aizen's Lieutenants.

More Soul Reapers begin to arrive and I turn around. Now seems like a good time to slip away. It's getting a bit too crowded for a fugitive like me to be comfortable. I take a running leap to the next building, but as I land I feel the roof tiles beneath my feet begin to shift. Damn it! I'm an idiot! Aizen's Lieutenant fired off a couple blasts from her zanpakuto in her rage and one of them hit this building. I'm not surprised that the roof got damaged, but my distraction has made me forget.

As a result of my stupidity I lose my balance and fall. The already damaged tiles break under my weight and suddenly I'm sliding down the steep slope of the roof. I plunge over the edge of the roof with a shower of broken terracotta and land hard in a heap on the ground below.

I lay still for a moment waiting for the pain from these new bruises to fade. That was _so_ not smooth. Slowly I pull myself to my feet and brush myself of.

"Well isn't this a pleasant surprise."

I freeze as still as stone as the vaguely familiar voice washes over me. It's deeper than the one in Wakana's memories, but the sly undertone in it is instantly recognizable. I turn slowly, almost mechanically as a cold chill runs down my spine. Gin Ichimaru stands watching me closely, his hands in his sleeves with that enormous grin on his face.

"I'd heard you had escaped, but I didn't honestly think that you'd be out running around the Seireitei. Not very smart, really, but oh well. We were planning on letting you live a bit longer, but I don't think Captain Aizen will be too upset if I go ahead and take care of you now."

It if it's even possible Ichimaru's grin grows even wider. Wild fear begins to tear its way up my throat as Ichimaru draws his right hand from his sleeve and reaches for the hilt of his zanpakuto. I have absolutely no hope of taking Ichimaru in a fight right now and I can't seem to unstick my frozen brain in order to think of a way to get away. I'm like the mouse trapped in the snake's gaze.

Ichimaru draws in slow motion, the blade hissing as it is slowly drawn from the sheath. I can't move no matter how hard a try. Damn it! Ichimaru raises his blade until it's pointed at my head. Move! My mind is screaming at my body, but fear has locked every muscle and joint.

"Skewer her, Shin-!"

I never get the chance to hear the rest of Ichimaru's release command as there is the feeling of something colliding with my stomach and I'm suddenly being carried away at a ridiculous speed, the ground falling away beneath me in a blur of color. Looking down I see that someone's arm is wrapped around my torso. This is definitely not ok. I begin to struggle, trying to free myself.

"Let me go!" The person holding me is reluctant to let go, but I finally manage to twist violently enough that they lose their grip on me.

We had slowed down as I struggled, but the speed we were moving at is enough to send me bouncing and rolling across the ground once I'm free. Finally I start to skid to a stop and, ignoring my newest scrapes and bruises, I jump to my feet with my hand on Tennyo's hilt. However, the sight if the person in front of me stops me from drawing. "Yoruichi…?"

The same dark-skinned purple-haired woman from Wakana's memories stands before me with her hand on her hip. Her hair is longer than before, but her eyes are the same golden color with the same cunning glint.

Yoruichi Shihoin looks down her nose at me for a moment. "You recognize me?" she asks, her voice measuring.

"Yea…I've got all of Wakana's memories."

"Ah. Kisuke said that might happen." The last part is said in undertone as she thinks out loud.

"Yea, Urahara says a lot of things doesn't he," I comment dryly.

Suddenly Yoruichi cracks a large grin. "He sure does. Anyways isn't there something you'd like to say to me?"

I scowl at her, but she just looks back at me expectantly. "Thanks for saving me," I grumble under my breath. I don't particularly appreciate being chastised like a child.

Yoruichi throws back her head and laughs throatily. "Much better." She quickly turns more serious. "It's probably not safe to stay out here in the open though. Can you follow me?"

"As long as you don't go too fast."

"Alright," she says nodding. "Follow me then. I know a place that'll be safe for you to hide."

Yoruichi turns away and takes off in a leisurely shunpo. I follow her, curious despite myself. I'm surprised as she leads me towards Sokyoku Hill. This doesn't seem like a very safe place to be heading, but I can't find any reason in Wakana's memories not to trust her. And there's something about her vivaciousness that makes me like her despite how direct she is.

I begin to feel a bit apprehensive as we approach Sokyoku Hill, but she doesn't head for the top. Instead she keeps shunpoing towards the sheer cliff face like she intends to run straight into it. I see why when the mouth of a small cave in the middle of the cliff face comes into view, guarded by a…door?

Yoruichi lands on the ledge outside the cave entrance, pushes open the door, and leads me inside. There is tile laid across the floor and a variety of weapon's racks, barrels, and crates line the walls. Besides the obvious man-made modifications something about this cave doesn't seem natural. "What is the place?" I ask as I look around.

"Kisuke and I built it when we were in the Academy to train. There's another cavern down there that the training area under the shop was based on," she responds, pointing to what looks like a trap door in the corner.

Yoruichi leads me over to the trap door and we go down into training area. She was right. The one under the shop is pretty much identical to this one, down to the fake blue sky. "There's a spring over behind that boulder that will heal your wounds and help your spiritual pressure recover," she says, pointing to it. "I suggest you use it. You're a mess."

"Thanks," I grumble. As I look around I'm suddenly struck by an idea. "Can I train down here?" I ask hopefully, turning towards Yoruichi.

Yoruichi considers me carefully for a moment. "That's fine with me, but what for?"

I pause at this. What's the best way to phrase this… "Did you know that Wakana had achieved bankai shortly before the incident with Aizen?" Genuine surprise flits across Yoruichi's face as she shakes her head. "Well she did. I want to see if I can use it too."

"Can you really do that?"

"It's all in here," I reply, absentmindedly tapping my temple. "I should be able to if I just copy what Wakana does in her memories."

Yoruichi frowns. "Bankai is a lot harder to do than shunpo."

"I know that. But I have to do something or else I won't be a match for…" Silence reigns as I trail off.

"A match for who?" Yoruichi prompts me, her expression stern.

I'm quiet for a moment as I think. Now that I have the time to consider it Ichimaru just confirmed my suspicion that Aizen is alive. Which means he faked his death. They're definitely up to something. "Aizen, Ichimaru, any of them," I finally answer. "They're up to something again you know."

"Yes, I do know," Yoruichi sighs wearily. "Are you certain that you'll be able to take them on once you've achieve bankai?"

"I have absolutely no idea. But I'm not about to sit around and do nothing while they ruin more people's lives."

Yoruichi and I stare each other down for a moment. I'm going to do this whether she lets me train here or not and I make sure that she knows it.

"Fine!" Yoruichi exclaims suddenly, turning away. She shrugs over dramatically as she begins to move back towards the ladder. "Just make sure you give them one for me," she adds, throwing me a grin over her shoulder. It's impossible for me not to grin back.

The world suddenly shifts as I feel an absolutely massive spiritual pressure explode not too far away. It's just…staggering. I've never felt anything like this. "Who the hell is that?" I manage to gasp.

"Kenpachi Zaraki…" Yoruichi says lowly, almost to herself.

There's another spiritual pressure struggling vainly against the larger one. The larger pressure is so overwhelming that it takes me a moment to identify the smaller one.

"Ichigo!" My cry is strangled as I realize that the smaller spiritual pressure is his. Without a second thought I throw myself towards the ladder my only intention being getting to Ichigo. Yoruichi has turned around and she grabs me around the middle before I can reach the ladder.

"Let me go!" I scream, thrashing in her grip in my desperation.

"Stop it Taylor!" Yoruichi yells and it's impossible to ignore the thunder of authority in her voice. I go limp in her arms and she's forced to hold me up. "What do you think you could do for him in your condition? You'll only get in the way and he'll get hurt trying to protect you," she tells me softly, her voice hard.

She's right of course. I step away from her and lower my face, hiding the tears in my eyes behind my bangs. Damn it! I can't help him! It seems like I can't do anything useful here…

"I'll go make sure he's ok," Yoruichi tells me, her voice back to normal. "You go get in the hot spring and try to recover some." With that she turns away and jumps up into the opening that the ladder descends from. I feel her spiritual pressure leave the cave above and speed towards where Ichigo and the Zaraki guy are fighting.

Reluctantly I do as she instructed and head towards the hot spring. She's right about that too of course. Hopefully soaking for a bit will help me recover enough that I can actually do something useful. Ichigo will be fine, I tell myself stubbornly. _I_ need to focus on taking care of Aizen. These thoughts don't do a damn thing to stop me from worrying though.

Once I get to the spring, which is fed by a little slide that comes down from the boulder, I strip my shihakusho off and jump in. I can instantly feel my aches and pains being soothed. The cuts and scratches on my body begin to heal, little curls of steam drifting up from them. I can even feel my spiritual pressure returning. This water is amazing.

As I soak I carefully track the progress of Ichigo's fight. For a long time it seems like Ichigo's just running away while Zaraki guy, undoubtedly the Captain of Squad 11 with the name of Kenpachi, chases him. Finally Ichigo stops and engages Zaraki. It's disastrous. When I feel Ichigo's spiritual fall I lunge for the edge of the pool, but after what only seems like a seconds pause Ichigo's spiritual pressure skyrockets. I'm frozen in place by shock as the power of his spiritual pressure keeps climbing. I can't believe how strong he suddenly is. He's definitely a match for Zaraki now.

Ichigo and Zaraki clash several times and then finally seem to be preparing for their finishing blows. I can feel both of their spiritual pressures pushing their limits, overwhelming my senses completely. They meet, crash against each other, and then…nothing. Just like that all their power is spent.

I stand frozen by the edge of the spring as I wait for some sign that Ichigo's still alive. The wait feels like eternity. Finally I feel Yoruichi headed this way and she's carrying…it's faint, but that's definitely Ichigo's spiritual pressure. I leap out of the pool and throw my shihakusho back on, hardly paying attention to what I'm doing. My emotions are a complete mess right now. I'm excited to see Ichigo, but I'm dreading seeing the condition he's probably in. What I am going to say to him? What's he going to say to me? How am I going to feel?

Everything's a blur as I scramble up the ladder to the entrance of the cave. My feet hit the stone floor as the door swings open and Yoruichi walks in with Ichigo, unconscious, over her shoulder. It's all I can do not to sprint over to her.

"Grab that futon," Yoruichi commands. I hurriedly grab the futon from its position folded up against the wall and spread it out. As Yoruichi lays Ichigo gently down on it I gasp in horror.

Ichigo's completely covered with blood. His most obvious injury is a cut that runs from the center of his chest to his side where a sword has been pulled out sideways. It looks serious. "Oh, Ichigo…" My voice is more of a whimper than anything. Tears well up in the corners of my eyes as agony and guilt tear around in my chest. I absolutely hate to see him like this and to know that I didn't do anything to try and stop it.

"We need to act quickly," Yoruichi says, beginning to set up the trappings of a healing kido. "Do you think you'll be able to help me?" she asks, looking at me expectantly.

With some effort I swallow my tears and nod. I'll do anything I can to help save him.

…

It's been several hours since Yoruichi brought Ichigo back. He's all bandaged up and resting now. I'm a bit ashamed to say that I wasn't much help in healing him. My anxiety for Ichigo and my inexperience with healing kido turned me into a nervous wreck. Pretty much all I did was stop the bleeding while Yoruichi worked on his wounds. But, Ichigo's going to be ok now and that's what counts.

While he's unconscious I decided to get started on trying to use bankai. The first step is to force Tennyo to manifest outside my soul. This is something that is definitely easier said than done and unfortunately my progress has been pretty slow. It's taking all my concentration and energy just to create a shadow of her shape. It's because of this that I don't notice that Ichigo is awake until his spiritual pressure suddenly explodes right of above me and begins to speed away.

"What the hell?" I gasp, Tennyo's form flickering out of sight as my concentration is broken. I throw myself towards the ladder and in no time at all I'm in the entrance to the cave where light is flooding in through the broken door. "What happened?" I ask Yoruichi. She looks pissed.

"That dumbass is heading towards the Senzaikyu," she growls.

The Senzaikyu? I cast my attention in that direction. I can feel the spiritual pressure that was with Ichigo before that I didn't recognize, another unknown spiritual pressure, Rukia's and-

"Byakuya Kuchiki," I gasp. "He isn't healed enough to fight him yet!" I shout to Yoruichi.

"I know that!" she snaps back at me. "Stay here. I'll go get him."

Anger flares up inside me. "Hey! I'm not just going to sit here and do nothing again!"

"I'm faster than you are and we both know it! Do you think you can carry him away, by force if necessary, and still outrun Byakuya?" she asks me, her eyes flashing angrily.

I bite my lip. She's right again, of course. I'm getting _really_ tired of being wrong. "No." I spit the word out like it has burned my tongue.

"Then I'll go get him." Yoruichi turns away. "_That orange-headed idiot!"_ I hear her hiss under her breath as she launches into a fast shunpo.

While I may not be going to help him again, and man that rubs me the wrong way, I'm not going to go back into the training area and let Yoruichi take care of everything. Instead I cross my arms and plop myself down on the floor of the cave to wait. I carefully track everyone's spiritual pressures. Soon I can feel Yoruichi heading back towards the cave with Ichigo.

I stand as Yoruichi lands, Ichigo thrown over her shoulder again. She walks over to the futon and lays him gently on it just as she did earlier, before stumbling back.

I quirk an eyebrow at her questioningly. "Are you ok?"

"Yea…" she pants, looking up at me with a wry smile. "Shunpo just takes a lot out of a person when you haven't done it in a hundred years.

I look her over carefully for a moment, but she seems ok besides being tired. I turn my eyes back to Ichigo and I see that the top of his shihakusho is open revealing his well-muscled chest and abs. As distracting as this is my eyes are immediately drawn downwards to his abdomen where a large bloody stain is spreading. "Yoruichi! What happened?"

"He wasn't being cooperative," Yoruichi shrugs nonchalantly.

"So you stabbed him?"

"Relax, it's just a sedative. He'll heal better if he isn't jumping up to go and fight every hour."

While I don't disagree with her I still glower at her for hurting him. Yoruichi kneels down next to Ichigo and begins to heal his newest wound. I sit down beside Ichigo's head to watch. I'm not going to leave, I decide. I'm going to stay with him until he wakes up to make sure he doesn't do anything else stupid.

Unfortunately my patience doesn't last that long. Late afternoon sunlight is filtering through the hastily repaired door when I can take no more and I stand. Yoruichi lazily opens one eye and looks up at me from where she sits, her head resting on one raised knee.

"I can't take this anymore…" I say quietly. I really can't. It tears me up inside to see Ichigo unconscious like that, his face pale and sweaty from the pain. I can't _do_ anything for him right now so I might as well use my nervous energy for something productive. "I'm going to go train some more."

My feet are at the edge of the ladder when Yoruichi speaks. "Good luck." I turn to see her looking at me with her head up. Her expression is neutral, but there is kindness in her eyes.

"Thanks," I reply and then jump down into the training area. It's nice to know that there's someone rooting for me.

…

"You're going to learn bankai in just three days."*

Ichigo stared at Yoruichi in equal parts disbelief and shock. But there was no doubting it. Yoruichi was being completely serious. How this was going to work though Ichigo hadn't the faintest clue.

Then he mentally shook himself. No, that was definitely not what he needed to be focusing on right now. He could do this. He _had_ to do this so that he could get strong enough to defeat Byakuya Kuchiki and save Rukia. And that's all he needed to know. He still felt kind of bitter towards Yoruichi for bringing him back and leaving everyone else at the mercy of Byakuya and the other Captain who had shown up, but Yoruichi was probably right in saying that the only one who could defeat Byakuya was him. And if he was the only one who could then he would.

Ichigo's determined concentration was shattered as another spiritual pressure suddenly exploded nearby. Ichigo could see the dust being kicked up over the tops of several large boulders. And this spiritual pressure…he recognized it! Excitement flooded through him and his heart began to pound wildly. He turned and ran towards the spiritual pressure with only one thought in his mind. "Taylor!"

When Ichigo reached the open space among the rocks where Taylor was he slowed to a stop. Before her stood a dark-haired woman in a silver kimono. Ichigo blinked, confused. Who the hell was she?

"Taylor!"

Taylor seemed to start at the sound of his voice. As she whirled around to face him the woman vanished into nothingness. Ichigo forced himself to blink a couple of times, not entirely sure if what he had seen was real. Maybe his injuries were worse than they had thought?

"Ichigo!"

Ichigo's eyes snapped back to Taylor. He always felt a pleasant little shiver when he heard his name in her voice. She approached him, smiling widely, but concern was creating a little furrow on her brow. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail. Ichigo found that he rather liked that. He could see more of her pretty face now.

"How are you feeling?" Taylor asked.

Ichigo shrugged noncommittally. "I'm ok." The corners of Taylor's mouth turned downward a little bit. "Really," Ichigo added hurriedly. "I mean I'm still injured, but I can handle it."

"Ok…" Taylor replied, but it was clear she wasn't convinced. Ichigo shifted uncertainly as Taylor's eyes traveled the length of his body checking for injury. Suddenly Taylor's cheeks flushed a bright pink as her eyes leveled with his chest and she looked away, though Ichigo had no idea why.

"So, how are you?" Ichigo asked trying to break the suddenly awkward silence. "Renji said you escaped."

At that Taylor smirked. "Of course I did," she replied airily, haughtily flicking the end of her ponytail over her shoulder. "I'm not some damsel in distress, you know."

Ichigo scowled in response to that. "Wish I'd know that earlier. Would have saved me a lot of worry," Ichigo grumbled under his breath.

"You were…worried about me?" Taylor asked shyly after a moment's pause. Her blush had deepened. And it was adorable.

Ichigo looked away in a pitiful attempt to hide his own reddening cheeks. "Yea," he admitted, reaching a hand up to scratch the back of his head.

"Oh, would you two just make out already?"

Ichigo and Taylor both jumped out the sound of Yoruichi's voice. She was leaning against a nearby boulder, a smugly playful smirk on her face.

"Shut up!" Ichigo yelled at the same time that Taylor yelled, "Damn it Yoruichi!" They turned to look at each other, their eyes met, and they both looked away blushing furiously. Yoruichi simply laughed gleefully in response.

"Ichigo…" Ichigo looked towards Taylor, surprised at the sudden seriousness in her tone. She refused to meet his eyes as she continued speaking. "I'm just glad you're ok. Especially after what happened in the World of the Living…and when you fought Renji…and…"

Taylor cut herself off, sounding choked. She had hidden her eyes behind the curtain of her bangs and her hands had tightened into fists. It made Ichigo unhappy that she was so clearly upset and he finally lost it when she let out a loud sniffle. Unable to hold himself back anymore Ichigo stepped forward and wrapped his arms around Taylor's shoulders, hugging her tightly against his chest. She immediately stiffened against him.

"Stuff like that isn't ever going to kill me," Ichigo promised her softly.

"You shouldn't be here you know," Taylor responded lowly.

Ichigo couldn't stop himself from snorting. "I wasn't about to leave you and Rukia to the Soul Society's mercy. And I'm not leaving until you're both safe."

"You could die." Taylor's voice sounded stricken.

"I won't," Ichigo replied fiercely.

Taylor finally relaxed against him. His heart began to beat so quickly that he was certain it would burst as she wrapped her arms around him and returned his hug. "I know," Taylor murmured softly against his chest. "And thank you…idiot." The last word was barely more than a whisper, but Ichigo couldn't help smiling fondly when he heard it.

Ichigo would have been perfectly happy to stand there hugging Taylor for the rest of eternity. But, unfortunately, there were some other things that needed taking care.

"Alright, sorry to break you two love birds up, but we've got work to do Ichigo. And Taylor's got her own training." Yoruichi said, breaking the comfortable silence.

Ichigo reluctantly stepped away from Taylor. Her hands lingered along his sides, leaving trails of warmth where she touched. It nearly made Ichigo come undone in a completely different way, but he mastered himself. He met Taylor's eyes calmly. Their moment had passed and, he realized, they both had work do to.

Suddenly Taylor smirked. "Don't screw up."

Ichigo grinned back. "That's one thing you don't have to worry about."

**Author's Note:**

_Chapter 18! I hope you enjoyed it, especially that little bit of fluff at the end. Since it's been a few chapters since Taylor and Ichigo had seen each other I wanted to make sure that their reunion had some fluff in it. Anyways we keep getting closer and closer to the end. As of right now I've got three more chapters plotted out. And then the sequel(s) of course. Get excited!_

_Citations:_

_*English language version, Volume 14, Ch. 120, by Viz._

_Ten reviews! That's more like it! And we've finally hit a mark that I've been DYING to get to for a while now…over 100 hundred reviews! You have no idea how absolutely ecstatic I am. This is the first story that I've ever gotten that many reviews on and I never would have thought I'd get this far when I started this story. THANK YOU SO MUCH to anymore who has ever reviewed this story and a great big extra enthusiastic THANK YOU to all the reviewers who got this story over the 100 mark: , MikaBee2434LOVE, Shaybo27, Shannyrox101, bleach fan no 1, bored411, Sora'struelover, and XxLunarRockerxX! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT! _

_**READ THIS PART**__: So I start the other training program that I mentioned a few chapters ago in a couple days and I don't know how much free time I'm going to have during it. I just want to warn everyone that if I don't update for a while it's because of that. I'll still try to update though!_

_Thanks for reading! _

_**imagination junkie**_


	19. And the Bittersweet Goodbye

**Disclaimer:** _I do not own Bleach or anyone or anything from Bleach. It's as simple as that. Everything else, however, is mine. :D _

**Chapter 19: And the Bittersweet Goodbye**

As Tennyo sealed herself I fought the urge to collapse on to my butt. Training with bankai is no joke and the way I've been going at it is especially exhausting. A couple of hours ago I managed to achieve and maintain Tennyo's bankai and I've been working with it ever since. Tennyo says I'm doing well, but I definitely still have a long way to go.

Stifling a yawn I stretch in an attempt to work the kinks out of my back. I nice long soak in the healing hot spring sounds wonderful right about now. As I make my way over to it I vaguely register that Ichigo's spiritual pressure has normalized. I guess he's done training for the evening too.

Stifling yet another yawn, I round the corner of the boulder that guards the hot spring, my hands already on the knot on the front of my shihakusho. I must r_eally_ be tired because as I round the corner I see that the hot spring is already occupied. Somehow I managed to miss the fact that Ichigo's spiritual pressure was here.

Ichigo looks up at the sound of my footsteps. To both my joy and my chagrin he appears to be completely naked, his abandoned shihakusho lying behind him. I can see all of Ichigo's chest and a good part of his abs. Unease fills me at the sight of his freshly healed scars gleaming pink against the rest of his skin, but ogling the rest of his body easily distracts me.

Finally I manage to tear my eyes away from his torso and our eyes meet. Ichigo's face flushes a brilliant shade of red. He looks as embarrassed as I feel. Neither one of us moves, both of us just staring at each other. And then…

"I-I'm so sorry!" I stutter loudly, ducking back behind the boulder. My face is so hot you could probably cook an egg on it. He was sitting there in the hot spring _naked_ and I just stood there and stared at him! Well I don't think anyone could really blame me…but it's still really embarrassing.

"It's ok!" I hear Ichigo call, his voice strangely nervous. His tone only makes my heart jump more. "I was just getting out anyways."

There is a loud splash followed by the rustling of clothing. Finally there is the sound of footsteps as Ichigo makes his way around the boulder. I do my best to get the heat in my face under control, but it doesn't seem to be working. Especially when Ichigo appears wearing just his hakamas.

"You go ahead," he tells me, apparently unwilling to meet my eye. His cheeks are still red.

"Are you sure?" I ask, forcing myself to focus on his feet before I start drooling.

"Yea," he adds kindly. "I was just about finished anyway."

Another loud splash interrupts us and we both turn to look, surprised. Yoruichi, naked as the day she was born, has emerged from the hot spring and stands next to it wringing out her hair.

"It's all yours, Taylor," she tells me with a wicked grin, flinging her hair over her shoulder.

For a moment I can only gape at her. "Yoruichi! What the hell?" I splutter once I regain some of my ability to form a coherent sentence.

"What?" she asks innocently. "I wanted to soak too."

"_With Ichigo?_" I all but shriek. Not only am I pissed, but I'm also jealous. Not only does she have body that I can only dream about, but she was just bathing _with_ Ichigo. How did I not see her?

"Relax. I was a cat."

"That's besides the point!" I begin angrily. But I'm interrupted by Ichigo.

"Would you just put some clothes on already?" Ichigo shouts, his voice sounding strangled.

"Why would I want to do that?" she asks, grinning, suddenly stretching her arms languorously over her head. "If I did I would ruin your view."

It takes me a moment to process Yoruichi's words, but when I do my head turns towards him so quickly that I'm surprised I don't have whiplash. Ichigo must have slapped his hands over his eyes the moment that Yoruichi came out of the spring, but they don't seem to being doing him much good as his fingers are cracked, allowing me to a see a flash of his brown eyes between them.

Something inside me explodes. "_You pervert! Why the hell are you peeking?_"

Ichigo turns to me his eyes wide with surprise and his face so red it's nearly purple. "I wasn't peeking! My fingers slipped!" The fact that his voice has gone up an octave reveals his lie.

"_And now you're lying about it?_"

"I'm not! I swear!"

Yoruichi walks by us, chuckling. I'm already pissed beyond hell and the realization that she has purposely been teasing us makes me lose it completely.

"Leave!" I scream at Ichigo, shoving him hard. "Just leave me alone!"

Ichigo looks like he wants to argue, but thinks better of it. Instead he quickly gathers the clothes he dropped when he "covered" his eyes and hurries away without a background glance.

I stare daggers at his retreating back breathing heavily. Great. Nice to know that Ichigo is a perverted bastard. And Yoruichi? I could kill her right now. Still thinking these vehement thoughts I strip my shihakusho off and jump in the hot spring to soak.

…

Moonlight shines in through the boards that have been used to hastily cover the entrance to the cave. It's late, but I'm having trouble sleeping. Yoruichi has disappeared. It's now just Ichigo and me. He was even nice enough to let me have the futon, while he sits up against the wall. But the fact that I'm hyper aware of his presence is making it even harder for me to sleep.

"Ichigo…" I begin quietly. "Are you awake?"

"Now I am," he grumbles lowly as he shifts. And then, louder, "Yea. What do you want?"

Ah. I guess he's still annoyed with me for what happened earlier. "Well…" I begin timidly, glad that the darkness hides the heat in my cheeks. "I'm sorry…about earlier. I guess I kind of over reacted…" As I wait with bated breath for Ichigo to respond, I silently berate myself. I'm such an idiot. I keep doing all these stupid things and then I have to apologize for them. Why do I have to be such a spaz?

"Don't worry about it," Ichigo replies gruffly after what seems like an eternity.

I turn to glance over my shoulder at him. I can just make out Ichigo's face in the moonlight. He's watching me, his eyes soft. My face warms even more and my heart thrums pleasantly in my chest. Suddenly feeling rather warm and fuzzy I burrow deeper into the futon and close my eyes feeling peaceful.

Just as I am about to drift off to sleep Ichigo speaks and I am instantly awake again. "So…there's something I'm kind of…worried about…"

Felling slightly surprised, I roll over completely to face him. He refuses to meet my eyes. "What is it?" I ask, concerned.

"Well…it's just that…I've worked so hard to get stronger so that I could come here and rescue you and Rukia." Ichigo blushes at this but continues. "And you managed to handle everything on your own just fine, but Rukia seems like she's in an even worse position now. There are only a few days left until her execution and between now and then I have to learn bankai and get strong enough to save her."

Ichigo pauses here and is quiet for a long while. Just as I'm getting impatient he speaks again. "It's just I'm not sure I can do it. It seems impossible, but Yoruichi said that I'm the only one who has a chance. There's only me. And if I fail…" Silence stretches on for what seems like eternity. "I don't know if I can really do this."

I can't help but frown a bit as I consider Ichigo, who has become very interested in the ground between his feet. This doesn't sound like him at all. He has every right to be troubled, but I've never seen him so uncertain. He must really be worried about this. And it touches me that he has confided in him. I have to do something to make him feel better.

I suddenly have to fight the urge to smirk as an idea of how I can boost his confidence hits me. "Yea, you're probably right."

Ichigo's eyes snap up to mine, surprise in them. "Huh?"

"I said you're right," I reply smoothly, shrugging lightly as I roll away from him again. "This probably is too much for you."

"Are you serious?" Ichigo asks. It bothers me that there's an edge of hurt in his tone, but he mostly sounds irritated.

"Absolutely. I mean you only really got this far by accident right?" I say, waving my hand flippantly. "Even in the fights you did win you just barely got by. And you've had so much help. How much were you really doing on your own? And now you have to get bankai in three days and defeat all of the Soul Society to save Rukia? You should probably just give up now. I mean you're really only a _substitute_ anyways. You couldn't stop them from bringing us here so why would you be able to stop them now?"

There is a long moment when the silence is suffocating before Ichigo's spiritual pressure explodes behind me. And while I was purposely trying to provoke him something instinctual inside me writhes in fear at the wildness of it.

"So what if I've just been barely scraping by since I've been here. So what if I've had a lot of help," Ichigo begins, his voice low but very angry. "You have no idea what I've been through to get this far. I don't care what the odds are! I don't care if I'm just a substitute! I won't let anything like what happened before happen again. I will protect the people I care about! I will get bankai and I will save Rukia no matter what you say!" Ichigo is shouting now.

I glance over my shoulder at him. He is standing, his clothes and hair whipping in the force created by his spiritual pressure. His eyes are blazing as he glares down at me. I can't stop myself from smirking smugly. "That's what I thought."

Surprise crosses Ichigo's face. And then, abruptly, his spiritual pressure calms. "You did that on purpose," he asks, smiling ruefully.

"Yep."

Ichigo falls back against the wall and slides down it into a sitting position, seemingly exhausted. "That was dirty."

"But it worked."

"Yea…thanks Taylor."

"Any time," I reply, smiling for real now as I turn away.

"Yoruichi told me you were working on bankai too. Are you going to help me save Rukia?" Ichigo asks abruptly. As much as it pleases me to hear the normal confidence in his voice again I can't help but stiffen at the question.

"No," I finally answer. "There's something else I need to take care of first."

"Does it have something to do with the Soul Reaper that they mistook you for?"

I glance of my shoulder at Ichigo, taken aback. "Hat n' clogs told me about it," he shrugs.

"How much did he tell you?"

"Not much more than that."

"Yes. It's got something to do with her."

Ichigo is quiet, but when I'm not forthcoming with more information he questions me further. "So? What's the big deal about her? What're you trying to do?"

"It's a long story," I sigh in reply. "Suffice it to say that there was a certain…incident here a long time ago. And I'm out to pay back the people who did it and make sure they never do it again."

Ichigo considers this for a moment. "Alright. Fair enough. We should probably try to get some sleep now."

Murmuring my assent I close my eyes with the intention of sleeping. But I've had a thought. And now that I've had it, it won't leave me alone. "You know," I begin in small voice, embarrassed and uncertain about how he'll take it. "You don't have to sleep sitting up."

"What do you mean?" Ichigo asks, perplexed.

"Well…we could share the futon…"

"Share…the futon?" Ichigo replies, his voice sounding odd.

"Yea," I add hurriedly, scooting over to the edge. "It's a big futon. There's enough room for both of us." I don't dare turn and look at Ichigo. I'm certain my face is on fire as hot as it is.

"Yea. Ok." Ichigo finally answers.

If I was hyper aware of him before it's nothing compared to how I feel now. I hear him stand, his shihakusho rustling, his feet scuffing the floor. He approaches the futon and lays down on the opposite edge, his back just barely brushing against mine and his body as stiff as a board.

We lay there in awkward and tense silence for moment and then his warmth begins to seep into me. I feel myself relax whether I want to or not and Ichigo responds in kind. Ichigo's ever present spiritual pressure calms and as it washes around me I feel safer than I have in a very long time.

With his warmth at my back and his comforting presence all around me I fall into the first deep sleep I've had since coming to the Soul Society.

…

When Ichigo awoke early morning light was filtering in through the cracks of the boards that covered the entrance to the cave. He lay there for a moment, sprawled out across the futon, wondering why he was awake. Taylor was gone. And once he realized that Ichigo found that he felt strangely chilled. The warmth and safety he had felt last night with Taylor's presence at his back was gone too.

But she was still there. He could feel her spiritual pressure fluctuating below him. Apparently she had decided to get an early start on her training for the day. Ichigo sat up and stretched. Now that he was awake there really wasn't any point in wasting time lying around.

Ichigo descended into the training area, did some proper stretches and warmed up. He had just finished readjusting his shihakusho once he'd finished when he heard a footfall behind him. Ichigo turned to see Taylor standing a short distance away looking tired, but determined.

"I'm done," she said quietly.

Ichigo frowned in thought for a moment. "Done with what?"

"My training."

"Oh…" Something inside Ichigo wilted at her words. "So I guess that means you're heading out to do whatever you're gonna do." Taylor's only response was to nod mutely.

They stood there awkwardly for a long moment. Ichigo searched for something to say, but couldn't think of anything that wasn't along the lines of 'I don't want you to go'. Their reunion had been so short and now she was leaving again. And there was no way to know if either of them of would survive the battles ahead. There was so much that Ichigo wanted to say, but he was too terrified to speak.

"Well…good luck," Ichigo finally forced himself to say. He tried to smile too, but it was painful and he was sure that it was a poor excuse for one.

Taylor's smile in return didn't reach her eyes. "Thanks. You too."

Ichigo watched stilly and silently, unable to move or speak, as Taylor walked past him. She seemed to be forcing herself not to look in his direction and it tore him up inside. He wanted to help her, but he knew that she would not appreciate it if he abandoned Rukia to her fate.

Abruptly Taylor paused, as if a thought had just occurred to her. She turned towards Ichigo a new look of resolve on her face. Ichigo barely had enough time to blink in confusion before Taylor had disappeared and reappeared in front of him in a single shunpo step.

Ichigo's breath caught in his throat as he looked down at Taylor. She was standing so close to him, barely an inch away. She stared back at him, her blue eyes wide and innocent and yet filled with steely determination. An electric current seemed to run between them as their gazes locked.

And then Taylor stood up on her tiptoes and gently brushed her lips against Ichigo's.

A fire sparked where their lips met and quickly blazed through every inch of Ichigo's body. His mind was both hyper aware and completely absent at the same time. Everything- time, the universe, his own heartbeat- disappeared at the soft feeling of Taylor's lips. Ichigo would have happily drowned in the sensation.

And then it was over. Taylor pulled away, blushing furiously, and turned to shunpo away. But Ichigo didn't want her to leave. The kiss- both his first kiss and theirs- had been far too brief. He wanted more. So before Taylor could get out of reach- and as far as Ichigo knew once she was gone she would be forever- he stretched out is hand and wrapped it gently around her arm.

…

When I wake up the next morning it is to the fading darkness of night and an ominous feeling in the air. Whatever is going to happen is going to happen today. I'm sure of it. Which means, simply, that I don't have any more time to waste.

I glance over my shoulder at Ichigo. It seems like neither of us has moved during the night. As much as I am loathe leaving his warmth I'm not ready to face what's going to happen yet. I need more practice. Reluctantly I stand, but before I head down to the training area I glance back at Ichigo. Almost immediately he rolls onto his back and stretches out. By look on his face he isn't more peaceful like this though. Perhaps he's missing my warmth as much as I'm missing his. I shake myself mentally. I need to focus now.

I head down the ladder and begin my training. It is grueling, especially after working so hard yesterday. But by the time I'm done both Tennyo and I are satisfied. I'm as ready as I'm ever going to be. As I sheathe Tennyo I feel Ichigo's spiritual pressure brush against my own. I guess he's awake too.

I pause before heading over towards him and the ladder. It's time to say my goodbyes. And for all I know they could be final. Butterflies bounce uncomfortably around in my stomach. What am I going to say? I have no idea. As I ponder this, my feet carry me closer without me noticing and before I know it I just have to walk around a boulder and I'll see him. I pause again, nerves filling me with hyper energy.

No. It doesn't matter what I'm going to say. Well…it does. But standing here hiding isn't going to get me anywhere! I can feel it…that sense of impending…something. I can't waste any more time. Squaring my shoulders I walk around the side of the boulder.

Ichigo turns at the sound of my footsteps. He's all sweaty- probably from getting ready to train too. My heart is in my throat. I don't want to do this. I don't want to leave. But…but…

We say our good byes. Well actually Ichigo just tells me good luck. It seems like such a hollow, empty thing to say in this situation. But there's more behind it that he can't put words to and that's what gives me some feeling of closure. I make to walk past him, determined not to look at him. If I do my resolve will break and everything I've worked so hard for the past couple of days will be for nothing. But there's so much more I want to say to him. My footsteps slow the farther I get from Ichigo, as if my body is just as reluctant to leave things like this as my heart.

That's when it hits me. This could very well be the last time we ever see each other. One- or both- of us could die today and that would be the end of it. I feel sick at the thought. So I can't leave like this. Without making my feelings for Ichigo clear. With leaving everything between us just hanging. I may not be able to say anything…but there's something else I can do.

I turn towards Ichigo again, filled with new determination, and with a single shunpo step I close the distance between us. My breath catches in my throat, as I look up into his face. His brown eyes are wide with surprise and strangely innocent. Clearly he has no idea what I'm about do. I take a deep breath, stand up on my toes, and then…

I brush my lips against his.

I don't know about fireworks, but something definitely exploded. Heat races through my veins, filling my entire body with intense fire. I feel strangely light headed. Like I'm literally on cloud nine. This is my first time kissing anyone and I had no idea it would feel this good. Actually it feels amazing. I never want this sensation to end, but I know it must. So I pull away.

I can deal with this. This is a goodbye that I'm satisfied with, even if I die today. Right? Not really. But it's the best I can do. So I turn away, intending to head towards whatever awaits me. Until Ichigo's hand closes around my arm just above my elbow.

He tugs me back towards him gently, but firmly. Caught off balance in the beginning of my first shupo step I have no opportunity to resist. He turns me as I fall back towards him and I end up with my chest pressed against his. As I open my mouth to question his actions his mouth crashes against mine and all words and thoughts disappear.

All I can say is that it's a good thing that Ichigo's arms are wrapped around me, because if he wasn't supporting me I probably would have fallen by now. I have no desire to support myself at the moment, however. I'm perfectly happy to let myself melt into him, simply losing myself in the feeling of his lips as his mouth moves against mine. There seems to be an electric current running through our bodies and in every place where our skin meets there are pleasant tingles.

When Ichigo finally, and reluctantly, pulls away we're both breathless. Ichigo leans his forehead against my own and I find myself trapped in his eyes. They're like liquid pools of dark honey, burning slowly with an emotion that I'm too shy to name. But though I don't dare put a name to it I can feel it spark the same emotion within me. My heart is pounding so hard now it almost hurts.

"Don't die," Ichigo tells me, his voice husky but forceful.

"I won't," I promise him quietly. I stare up into his eyes with the same intensity that he looks at me with, unable to look away even if I had wanted to.

And then Ichigo blinks and the spell is broken. He releases his grip on me and I step away. Without a backward glance- because our goodbye truly is finished now- I shunpo away. It sill hurts to leave. But I have no regrets now. I'm ready to face what will come. Resolve, stronger than any I've felt before, fills me.

Up the ladder and out of the cave I go. But I pause on the ledge outside the cave where Yoruichi sits watching the sunrise. She doesn't seem to notice my arrival until I walk up next to her and speak. "Ichigo's waiting for you, you know."

Yoruichi starts and twists around to look at me. Seemingly satisfied that I'm no threat she turns back towards the east. "Ok. Thanks for letting me know. I take it your heading out then?"

"Yea… You're worrying about Ichigo, aren't you." Yoruichi doesn't respond. I can't help but feel slightly frustrated. "You shouldn't. This is Ichigo we're talking about. He can do it."

"How can you be so sure?"

I'm a bit taken aback by the deep sadness in Yoruichi's eyes as she looks at me. She looks so…old. And weary. "Because I know him," I declare mulishly "Ichigo will do anything to help anyone he cares about. And if he says he'll do something he will. He won't give up. All you need to do is trust him."

Yoruichi looks at me for a long moment, considering, before a wry smile stretches across her face. "I suppose you're right," she says, standing and stretching. "All I can do now is put my faith in him and help him as best as I can. Though…" she turns to me, and this time her smile is devious. "I wonder how you know Ichigo so _well_."

My face instantly heats up at Yoruichi's insinuation, especially after what just happened. "I-I don't know what you're talking about," I mumble in reply, unable to maintain eye contact with her.

Yoruichi throws back her head and laughs. "That's what I thought!"

I turn away from her, embarrassed and irritated, and she walks back towards the entrance to the cave. "Be careful, Taylor." Surprised, I turn back towards her. Yoruichi is completely serious now, her last words obviously sincere.

"Thanks, Yoruichi," I reply smiling.

With that we go our separate ways. I shunpo off into the forest surrounding Sokyoku Hill and Yoruichi heads back into the cave. I feel better now that I'm on my way. I almost feel hopeful. Perhaps everything will work out after all and I'll survive my coming battles. With a sense of purpose pushing me forwards I make good time and the sun is only just properly up by the time I reach the edge of the forest. All thoughts of my progress forwards is erased from my mind, however, as I sense another spiritual pressure heading fast in my direction.

I land on a branch, the wood bouncing beneath my feet, in order to await his arrival. And I don't have to wait long. Only moments later he lands on a branch opposite mine. I allow my lips to curve into a smirk. "'Sup, baboon brain?"

He scowls at me as his brilliant red hair waves in the breeze. "I have a name you know."

"I know." My smirk widens. "But baboon brain fits you so much better."

I can literally see a vein pop in his forehead as his fights to control his temper. "Whatever," he finally grinds out. "You're in my way. Move. I'm in a hurry."

"Well that's interesting. Here I am, an escaped and wanted prisoner, and all you can think about is getting somewhere else. I'm hurt, pineapple head." I quickly drop my mocking tone, allowing my hand to rest on Tennyo's hilt. My voice now icy I continue, "Where are you headed to in such a hurry, Lieutenant of Squad Six?" He's heading towards Ichigo right now, I'm sure. And depending on what his answer is he may or may not be about to lose a limb or two.

Renji's face suddenly hardens. "They've moved it up. Rukia's execution. It's today."

My hand tightens involuntarily around Tennyo's hilt. Well that certainly explains the ominous feeling I've had since I woke up. This is not good. This is very not good. Unable to stop myself I glance back towards Sokyoku Hill. This is a hurdle that they weren't anticipating. But no…it doesn't matter. I mentally shake myself. I have faith in Ichigo. He'll save Rukia no matter what the odds.

Renji stares hard at me for a long moment before suddenly shrugging dismissively. "There's no need for you to look so worried you know. I'm not about to leave Rukia's rescue up to that orange-headed idiot."

My mouth pops open in surprise and he smirks in response. And- I find I can't help myself- I grin back. "That's a good answer, Renji Abarai."

Renji blinks in surprise at the sound of his name and I take it as my cue to head out again. But before I take off into a full shunpo I pause on the branch that Renji stands on. "That's more like it," I murmur to him, shoving his shoulder lightly.

And then I'm off again, heading towards Central 46 as fast as I can go. No more distractions. It's time to finish what Aizen started all those years ago.

**Author's Note:**

_Chapter 19! And what everyone was waiting for I'm sure! Yes they finally kissed. And then Taylor left! I'm kinda mean huh? I'm particularly fond of the scene at the beginning too. I've wanted to include something like that for a while and I'm glad I finally figured out a way to fit it in. And Taylor made up with Renji at the end. There's two reasons for that. The first is that while I'm kinda mean to Renji in earlier chapters I actually really like him. He's pretty much my favorite character actually. And eventually- like in the third story- Taylor and Renji are going to be interacting fairly often so it's good for them to be on friendly terms. And I realize that Ichigo fretting about his ability to do something is kind of OOC, but he seriously can't be completely self-confident all the time. So I've given him a moment of weakness that Taylor can help him through. _

_So there are two more chapters of this story left. The next one will be the climax where Taylor has her final fights, takes on Aizen, etc. And the last one will be a kind of epilogue/wrap up and will segue into the sequel. Get excited! I should be able to keep posting despite being in my training program. But it'll probably be more like every other week than every week like it's been for the past couple of months. Sorry :( _

_Citations:_

_None this time! Yay!_

_Six reviews! Thank you to Sora'struelover, Shaybo27, bleach fan no 1, Shannyrox101, violentyetawesome, and bored411! If you read please review! I greatly appreciate it!_

_Thanks for reading! _

_**imagination junkie**_


	20. My Final Battle

**Disclaimer:** _I do not own Bleach or anyone or anything from Bleach. It's as simple as that. Everything else, however, is mine. :D _

**Chapter 20: My Final Battle**

By the time I reach Central 46 on the other side of the Seireitei the sun is well and truly up. I pause on a wall at the edge of the compound to look around. There is another round inner wall in the middle of the compound. Inside it is a pool of water with a single bridge leading to a round building in the center of the pool. That, according to Wakana's memories, is the entrance to Central 46.

I squat down on the wall. I didn't think very much about what I was going to do once I got here and now that I'm here…to be honest I'm stumped. Central 46 is the most heavily guarded place in the entire Seireitei. It has alarms and an automatic locking system and I'm sure that if I tried to break in that the Captains would be on me before I even knew what happened. But there's something…wrong. It takes me a moment to notice it, but there aren't any guards posted outside the entrance. There's always supposed to be two guards right outside the door. Something's definitely wrong.

Frowning, I probe outwards, searching for any spiritual pressures. No good. The underground complex is surrounded by a layer of sekkiseki so I have no idea who is or isn't in there. Fine. I'll do this the old fashion way then. Sitting down on the wall I settle in to wait for something to happen.

…

It's approaching noon and I'm starting to doze off when I hear the sound of a door opening and a nearby spiritual pressure leaks into my consciousness. Startled into full wakefulness I scramble off the wall and into the shadows on the courtyard floor.

The sound of footsteps crossing the bridge from the entrance to Central 46 echoes unnaturally loudly in the silence. My muscles grow tense as I wait to catch a glimpse of whoever has come out. There is the sound of footsteps on stone and then my gust twists and my jaw locks together in hatred. It's Gin Ichimaru. And boy does he look smug.

He keeps walking, fully exiting the Central 46 compound. I follow him at a safe distance, moving from shadow to shadow and doing my best to keep my spiritual pressure hidden. Finally, some distance from Central 46, he pauses and glances left and right as if he's checking to make sure no one has seen him. And then he all but disappears, leaving just a little puff of dust where his feet once stood as he takes of in a lighting fast shunpo.

I hiss angrily through my teeth. Damn it! What the hell is he up to? There's no way I can keep up with him when he's doing a shunpo like that, so I wait until he's moved far enough away from me that he won't notice me if I use shunpo too.

I pause for a moment before I take off after him. The spiritual pressure of Kenpachi Zaraki, the Captain that Ichigo fought before, Kaname Tosen, and another spiritual pressure that I don't recognize but is easily at Captain level, flair against each other. Three Captains have begun a fight. It makes me uneasy. Seems like everything is really going to go nuts today. I take off in my own shunpo, tracking Ichimaru across the Seireitei and doing my best to ignore the powers clashing nearby.

I'm surprised when it turns out that Ichimaru's destination is Sokyoku Hill. It makes me nervous that he's so close to Ichigo, but he doesn't seem to be doing much of anything. Feeling exposed, I skulk in the dead trees that line the outside edges of the hill, but if Ichimaru notices me he doesn't show any sign. Instead he just stands towards the far end, by the cliff, staring up at the Sokyoku itself.

It's quiet, the wind rustling through the bare branches of the trees to ruffle Ichimaru's haori. I shift uncomfortably from foot to foot, wondering what he could possibly be doing here so long before Rukia's execution. It's then that I notice the massive flair of faintly familiar spiritual pressure. It takes me a minute to place, but when I do I can't help but gasp. It's Renji Abarai. And he's fighting none other than Byakuya Kuchiki.

He must be insane. He can't stand against an opponent like Byakuya. But he's definitely strong. Going by his spiritual pressure he's using bankai. I guess he didn't waste any of his training time this morning. Silently I root him on, turning back towards Ichimaru. I gasp again as I see Ichimaru approach the edge of the cliff and step off, vanishing from sight.

I sprint over to the edge of the cliff and look down. Rather than plunging to his death far below- which, if I'm being honest, I didn't actually think he'd done- he is just starting to cross the bridge the connects Sokyoku Hill to the Senzaikyu. At the far end Rukia and her four guards have just stepped onto the bridge.

Rukia…I could jump down there right now, take out the guards, and get her away. No. That's stupid. Ichimaru's still there. And Ichigo is preparing to save her and Renji is already fighting to save her. They can do it, I'm sure of it. I've got my own stuff to take care of. Guilt still sits heavily in my gut, however, as I watch Rukia step out onto the bridge.

I freeze on the edge of the cliff, uncertain. I can't just jump down there after Ichimaru because there's nowhere for me to hide. But what the hell is he up to? As I stand there, trying to figure out what to do Byakuya Kuchiki's spiritual pressure suddenly explodes as he releases his own bankai. It completely swallows Renji's spiritual pressure. Down below I hear Rukia suddenly scream, straining in Renji's direction, but the wind carries her words away so I can't hear what she's saying.

Momentarily distracted by the distant fight, I search for Renji's spiritual pressure as Byakuya's fades, straining my senses to their limits. Finally I find it. Renji is alive, but just barely. Breathing I silent sigh of relief I turn back to look down at the bridge and see that Ichimaru has reached Rukia and has paused to talk to her. They chat for just a minute and then Ichimaru walks up to Rukia, rests his hand briefly on her head, and continues on his way.

I watch Ichimaru walk towards the far end of the bridge, confused. What was that about? And then I hear Rukia scream- high, pained, and hopeless. The sound of her scream echoing makes me feel sick as I see Rukia drop to her knees. I don't know what he said, but I'm certain that Ichimaru is the cause of this. Hate twists my guts into knots as my hands tighten into fists impulsively. That bastard! Rukia's being escorted to her death and he's playing with her. I'm going to kill him!

I drop down off the edge of the cliff just as Ichimaru did. I pass by the ledge where the bridge connects, however, intending to cross at a lower level so I won't be spotted. Once I'm on the other side I work my way back up to the top and enter the maze of buildings that surround the Senzaikyu, still tracking Ichimaru's spiritual pressure. As I hunt him I feel the spiritual pressure of the other Captains arriving at the Sokyoku one by one. Silently I pray that Ichigo will hurry.

Finally I find Ichimaru again. I stop on the roof of a wall overlooking a large courtyard that Ichimaru is calmly crossing. Suddenly he pauses. "Don't you think it's about time we stopped playing cat and mouse?"

I freeze, every muscle in my body tense. With the way he just spoke he could have been talking to the empty air, but I know his words were directed at me. He knows I'm here. And has probably been aware of my presence since he left Central 46. Damn it. There goes the element of surprise.

"Well, even if you're not in a hurry I'm afraid I don't have very much time to play this little game anymore," Ichimaru continues, turning to face me, that hair-raising smirk stretched across his face.

I narrow my eyes at Ichimaru, unease making me feel jumpy. Abruptly an enormous spiritual power explodes behind me. Gasping, I turn and see a massive column of fire rising up above Sokyoku Hill. Rukia's execution has begun. There really isn't any more time to waste.

I turn back towards Ichimaru. His smirk has gotten wider. After a moment's hesitation- this is my final chance to run- I drop down to the ground below. I loudly let out a breath, willing the tension to leave my body. "You're right," I say, striding towards Ichimaru slowly. "We should get this over with."

"Oh good. I must say I'm a bit surprised though. I was expecting you to run back to Sokyoku Hill and try and rescue poor little Rukia."

Hot anger flashes through my veins. "I don't need to," I growl. "Ichigo will save her."

Ichimaru lets out a loud chuckle. "The ryoka boy? I know you're not Wakana Tsukino, but I thought that sharing her memories would have removed some of your foolish youthful optimism. Oh well. I suppose I get the pleasure of doing that."

Ichimaru's grin widens to such a proportion that it distorts his face as he suddenly charges forward, his zanpakuto glinting silver in the sun as he draws it. Shit he's fast! I draw Tennyo just in time to block and he locks his much shorter sword against mine, leaning against me with his greater height and weight.

"It isn't youthful optimism!" I shout, baring my teeth at Ichimaru in a snarl. "Ichigo will save her!"

Behind me I can feel the released Sokyoku gathering power for its single, annihilating strike. Come on Ichigo! You can make it in time! You _have_ to! And then I feel it…his spiritual pressure exploding from the cave and flying towards the top of the hill. My lips curl into a smirk of their own accord and all my doubt and worry seem to disappear. Suddenly feeling much stronger, I push back against Ichimaru. I push him away, sending him skidding across the ground.

Ichimaru's grin falls a bit. Mine widens in response. And then Ichigo's spiritual pressure meets the Sokyoku's. Ichimaru's eyes snap upwards towards the top of Sokyoku Hill, surprise clear on his face. Ichigo has successfully stopped the Sokyoku's attack.

"I told you." Ichimaru's gaze lowers slowly again to my face all traces of amusement gone. "I told you Ichigo would save her. And guess what. If he can do that I'm pretty sure I can beat you."

I hold my arm straight out, Tennyo held out to the side. Gathering my spiritual pressure around me I let Tennyo's hilt go and she swings down in a slow arc. "Sing, Tennyo!" Confidence fills my chest as my spiritual pressure surrounds me and funnels through Tennyo, transforming her into her shikai form. Behind me I feel the power of the Sokyoku being extinguished by some other force. I get the feeling that shit is about to hit the fan.

The dust raised by my shikai release settles, allowing me to see Ichimaru again. My stomach shifts uneasily when I see that his grin has returned and I silently berate myself not to be afraid.

"Well that was certainly unexpected. Our plans will have to be adjusted a bit, but the end result won't change. There is one other thing that you're wrong about, Taylor Smithson." A chill runs up my spine as Ichimaru's grin widens again. "You won't be defeating me, and definitely not with just shikai."

Ichimaru shunpos forward again and I bring Tennyo up to block, the bell that dangles from the blade tinkling. We trade several blows until Ichimaru steps back, pulling his elbow back and raising his zanpakuto until the tip is pointing straight at me. Shit! I swing Tennyo hard and the bell lets out a discordant shriek. Ichimaru flinches away from the sound and I charge at him.

Ichimaru blocks, swiping my sword away, and leaps back, raising his own blade again. I swing Tennyo once more and this time the peal from the bell is high and sweet. Ichimaru's arms droop and he sways a bit on his feet. I leap forward and thrust my sword out, aiming for his neck. Whether he did it on purpose or if he just fell I'll never know, but Ichimaru suddenly drops towards the ground. He catches himself on his left hand and pushes off, spinning away from me. He lands, skidding back a bit, and raises his hand. "Hado number 33. Sokatsui."

"Damn it!" I hiss as blue spiritual pressure erupts from Ichimaru's hand. The blast is, of course, massive because he's a Captain and I'm barely fast enough to dodge out of the radius of the attack. Immediately Ichimaru charges again, taking advantage of my distraction with his kido. He's grinning widely, clearly certain that he's got me. Screw that!

"Take this!" I scream at him, slashing at him with Tennyo as he approaches me.

Ichimaru ducks my blade easily and his grin stretches to hideous proportions. He brings his sword up, aiming for my forehead. But despite all this my own mouth is curled in a smirk. This worked out exactly the way I wanted it to.

Tennyo's bell chimes, the sound jarring, just inches from Ichimaru's head. Ichimaru's grin twists into a grimace and he lets out a yell of pain as he loses control of his shunpo. I step to the side and allow him to fall and slide past me, his hands over his ears. My smirk widens into a grin of triumph. Just one quick swipe of my sword and I'll have taken care of one of the men on my hit list.

As I step forward, my grip tightening on Tennyo's hilt in anticipation, spiritual pressure explodes behind me causing me to freeze in place. It's Ichigo. And he's fighting Byakuya Kuchiki. I'm unable to stop the impulse to turn back towards Sokyoku Hill, worry making my stomach twist. Byakuya Kuchiki is one of the most powerful Captains in the Soul Society. Can Ichigo really handle this?

Of course he can. Damn it! It was inevitable that he was going to have to fight Byakuya again to save Rukia. And Ichigo's stronger now, I can feel it. He's holding up against Byakuya in shikai just fine! And then Byakuya's spiritual pressure sky rockets- he has released his bankai. Fear for Ichigo is cold in my chest as I feel sweat drip down the back of my neck.

"You really shouldn't take your eyes off the opponent in front of you."

I see a flash of white out the corner of my eye as Ichimaru's words reach my ears. My eyes wide with alarm, and anger at my stupid mistake burning in my blood, I turn, bringing Tennyo up to block as I do so. Ichimaru is already set in his stance, his zanpakuto pointed at me. He grins. "Skewer her, Shinso!"

Time slows down as I desperately try my muscles to move faster. I can see Ichimaru's zanpakuto extending towards me, its speed terrifying. I'm honestly not sure that I'm going to be able to block it in time…and if I don't I'm dead. This new realization revitalizes me and, as time speeds up again, I manage to bring Tennyo up to guard my face.

There is the horrible screech of steel against steel as I deflect Ichimaru's sword off to the side, the blade still extending. It was close though, my cheek now sporting a freely bleeding cut. I focus on Ichimaru's face and I'm surprised to see that he doesn't look any less pleased now that I've managed to block his attack. I don't understand why until I here a muffled tinkle as Tennyo's bell hits the ground. His attack cut the braided cord that attached the bell to Tennyo's blade. Shock races through me. He was aiming for the bell the whole time.

Ichimaru's zanpakuto retracts, quickly returning to its original size. He smiles smugly at me as he takes a step forward. I'm unable to stop myself from compulsively taking a step back. His smile widens. "I told you that you couldn't beat me with just your shikai." And then he leans forward into a shunpo, apparently planning on finishing me off up close and personal.

Something in me screams at me to run, but I ignore it. I will not turn my back to Ichimaru and die like a coward. I will fight him. I _will_ defeat him! _I'm not finished yet_! Ichimaru's nearly upon me when I open my mouth and scream. "Bankai!"

…

Gin Ichimaru would have been lying if he'd said he wasn't surprised that the human girl carrying Wakana Tsukino's abilities could use bankai. He hadn't known that Wakana had acquired bankai. Gin skidded to a stop as the girl's spiritual pressure raged around him. It certainly wasn't the strongest spiritual pressure he had ever felt and it wasn't anywhere near as powerful as his, but he was still a bit impressed.

Suddenly something within the power in front of him fluctuated. Fast as lightning, something gold and silver flicked out of the whirling vortex in front of him. Gin leapt backwards, pushing spiritual pressure down into his feet to aid his speed, but he wasn't quite fast enough- the very end of the silver and gold thing just barely brushed his chest. A shockwave seemed to pass through Gin's body and his chest suddenly felt like it had been crushed. As Gin's feet collided with the ground and he skidded backwards he coughed. Gin looked on, amazed, as bright red blood sprayed in the air before his eyes.

Gin looked up towards the girl again, the spiritual pressure around her fading and revealing her bankai. Her appearance had changed slightly. Over her shihakusho she now wore a sleeveless, silver haori held closed by a golden sash tied around her waist with an intricate, off-center knot. Her zanpakuto now took the form of a whip, the body of it composed of braided gold and silver, looking just like a larger version of the string that had tied the little bell to the base of the blade in her shikai form.

The girl now met Gin's eyes steadily, her own eyes composed and hard. "Tennyo Utau." The girl's confidence was carried as clearly through the air as her voice. Gin frowned a bit. She really shouldn't be getting so cocky.

"I take it you didn't know that Wakana had achieved bankai shortly before Aizen created the Vizards," the girl continued.

"No I didn't," Gin replied conversationally. "It's quite an interesting form that your bankai has taken isn't it? A bell to a whip?" On the one hand Gin was honestly curious. On the other he was fishing for information. One didn't become a Captain by jumping into battle without analyzing your opponent's abilities first.

"It isn't that surprising is it?" Suddenly the girl smirked. "Don't tell me that you didn't know that sound is just vibrations in the air?" Gin's response was to shrug nonchalantly as his mind whirled, already figuring out what the girl's bankai was. "In shikai I can use sound to distract and disturb an opponent. With Tennyo Utau I simply take that concept one step further, literally harnessing the power of the vibrations created by sound."

Yes, that made sense, Gin thought. That would explain the strange sensation he had experience when she had hit him with her attack. The intense vibration was what had caused the damage.

As if she was reading his mind the girl smirked again. "You really got pretty lucky before. If I'd hit you with anything more than just Tennyo Utau's tip, well…" As the girl trailed off she casually flicked her wrist, sending the whip into motion. It twisted up into the air and then connected with the ground with a crack as loud as a thunderclap. Nothing happened for a moment and then the ground began to shake, as if there was an earthquake. There was a tremendous cracking noise and suddenly the ground spilt, an enormous fissure appearing from the point where the girl's zanpakuto met the ground and running all the way to wall that surrounded the plaza, causing it to collapse in a cloud of dust.

Gin gazed at the crack in the ground contemplatively. It was a rather impressive ability, he would admit. But… "It's still not enough to beat me," Gin said, turning back to the girl, his smirk once again in place.

The girl's eyes narrowed, her expression clouded with hate and anger. "We'll just have to see about," she replied defiantly. Behind her, on Sokyoku Hill, the spiritual pressure of the orange-haired ryoka boy exploded in what was unmistakably bankai.

…

Ichigo's bankai has given me hope. Even though I'd never felt it before I'd known instantly what it was. He was fighting against Byakuya on even footing. He could win. And if he can win, then so can I.

My fight with Ichimaru is not going in my favor, however. As much power as my bankai gives me a whip is not very useful for blocking a sword's piercing attacks. So every time Ichimaru has shot his sword at me I've been forced to dodge. I'm not mortally wounded or anything, but I'm pretty cut up at this point. As there's the toll that bankai takes on my spiritual pressure. I haven't been training with it long enough to maintain it for long periods of time and I'm starting to get tired. And the more tired I am the more likely it is that I won't be quite fast enough to dodge one of Ichimaru's attacks.

Not that I haven't been doing some damage. The plaza that we've been fighting in and the buildings surrounding it are pretty much destroyed. And I've gotten Ichimaru nearly as many times as he's gotten me. I've managed to hit him on the chest again, his back, his arms, and I got his right leg real good. That definitely did some damage because he's slowed down a lot now. But everything is still a matter of time and at this point I'm running out.

I land after dodging Ichimaru's latest attack, panting hard. Despite his injuries Ichimaru's expression hasn't changed: he isn't even breathing hard. And it only makes me hate him more. Allowing my emotions to fuel me, I yell and charge again flicking my zanapakuto out towards Ichimaru. He dodges my first strike and my second, the ground cracking and grumbling beneath his feet. Still in the air from one of his jumps Ichimaru attacks, his zanpakuto extending towards me, light flashing off its blade. I duck underneath and throw myself forward, desperate to land another hit. Ichimaru withdraws his zanpakuto, lands, and prepares to shoot it again. And then…

We both freeze. A massive surge of power erupts from the top of Sokyoku Hill, so dense and dark that its gives me chills. Ichimaru and I both turn to look, our fight forgotten. A massive column of black spiritual pressure lined with red whirls above the hill. It feels familiar. Horribly familiar. But it can't be that. It doesn't make any sense!

"Everything's going according to Captain's Aizen plan it seems."

I turn a glare on Ichimaru, something about his words unsettling me. "What're you talking about?" I growl at him.

"The ryoka boy, of course," Ichimaru replies, motioning towards Sokyoku Hill. "He has Hollowfied just as Captain Aizen said he would."

Shock freezes me in place for a moment, but rage quickly burns it away. "You're lying!" I scream, suddenly furious. I blindly lash out with Tennyo Utau, but Ichimaru easily avoids it.

"What're you getting so upset about?" Ichimaru chuckles while I fume. "I'm sure you recognize it just as I do."

I don't want to admit. I really don't! But I know he's right. That's definitely Ichigo's spiritual pressure and it's definitely Hollowfied. I feel sick to my stomach at the thought of Ichigo having to suffer through what Wakana and the rest of the Vizards went through. My rage and hate has nearly blinded me now. I look down at my hands. They're shaking. Blood drips between the fingers of the hand that doesn't grasp Tennyo Utau's hilt.

"Wh…What did you do?" I scream at Ichimaru, my voice cracking. I charge him, swinging my zanpakuto wildly. He disappears and I pause, uncertain.

"_I_ didn't do anything." The words are hissed into my ear. And then white-hot pain explodes from my side as Ichimaru's zanpakuto slices into me.

I stumble away from him, whipping Tennyo Utau back over my shoulder. I'm not even close to hitting him. Pain slices through my right shoulder and I drop my zanpakuto as I collapse to me knees, blood dripping down my arm as I grasp my injured shoulder.

Up on Sokyoku Hill Ichigo's Hollow spiritual pressure fades. Relief fills me, making me feel weak. He managed to control it. For now. Ichigo's spiritual pressure surges again, now clashing full on with Byakuya's. It seems that the final showdown of their fight has come.

I look back over my shoulder at the sound of Ichimaru's scuffing footsteps. "It seems that things are wrapping up up there. I think it's about time we did the same. I did have fun playing though, Taylor Smithson."

Fear courses through me, but rather than giving me strength it freezes me to the ground. Just like before, right after I escaped, I feel like I'm trapped in a snake's gaze. But this time there isn't anyone who's going to save me- everyone is busy in their own fight. This time the snake will strike.

Ichimaru raises his zanpakuto until it is level with his chin. His eyes crack open a bit as his grin widens and their pale blue pierces my soul with terror. "Bank-!"

Ichimaru suddenly cocks his head to the side, as if he's listening to some distant sound that only he can hear. He then promptly lowers his zanpakuto and sheathes it. I'm frozen with shock as he walks past me. "I'm afraid my time is up. We'll have to finish this another time," he says almost affectionately, patting my head as he walks past. And then he disappears and a little puff of dust is the only evidence that he was ever here.

Relief, stress, and exhaustion take over me all at once when I realize that Ichimaru has really left. I collapse forward, my vision black before I even hit the ground.

…

When I come to it doesn't seem like much time has passed. There are still fights raging all over the Seireitei, but it seems like Ichigo's fight with Byakuya on Sokyoku Hill is over. I can't tell who won from here. But it seems like Byakuya let Ichigo go at least. Orihime, Chad, Uryuu, and the spiritual pressure that I still don't recognize are all there. That makes me feel better. I know he's safe surrounded by our friends.

Grimacing, I sit up, the wounds in my side and shoulder protesting. They're still bleeding sluggishly. Feeling out of it I raise my one good hand and activate a simple healing kido spell, stopping the bleeding from my wounds. The effort leaves me gasping. Clearly I've used up practically all of my spiritual pressure. I guess it's pretty lucky that Ichimaru ran off when he did or else I'd probably be dead now.

Wondering where he went I search for his spiritual pressure. I can't find it anywhere and I've got the sneaking suspicion that he's back in Central 46. That must be where they're basing their operations out of. Meaning that Aizen must be there too.

With effort I manage to stand, though my legs are still shaky. Looking around I spot Tennyo lying where I dropped her, back in her sealed state again. Geez that really was a close call. I was well and truly out if Tennyo resealed herself.

I reach down and pick her up, apologizing softly for getting my ass kicked as I sheathe her. I can feel her forgiveness in my mind, though there is a steely edge to it. She's not ready to give up. And neither am I. At least my will isn't. As I take a step forward I stumble a bit. I'm not even sure I can use shunpo right now, I'm so drained. But…I can't just give up now! Gritting my teeth I take another step, forcing my body to move. I will find Ichimaru and Aizen and Tosen, and I _will_ stop them!

I've only taken two more steps in the direction of Central 46 when the sudden arrival of multiple spiritual pressures on Sokyoku Hill stops me in my tracks. Kaname Tosen. Gin Ichimaru. Sosuke Aizen…I knew he wasn't dead. And strangest of all I can sense Renji and Rukia as well. What the hell is going on? And then a voice speaking from the air in front of me tells me everything that I need to hear. "This is Squad 4 Lieutenant Isane Kotetsu with an urgent message. This is an emergency report from Captain Unohana about the traitor in our midst."*

I'm frozen as I listen to the woman speak. Anger slowly builds inside me fueling my hate. So Aizen has finally moved and the rest of the Soul Society finally knows that he is a traitor. It's about fucking time. What he's up to though and what it has to do with Rukia I still don't know. But as the 4th Squad's Lieutenant stops speaking I decide that I'm going to find out. I turn and shunpo towards Sokyoku Hill.

It's a struggle. I've used up so much energy that I can barely use shunpo at all. Up on the hill I feel Renji release his shikai. He's fighting Aizen. And then I feel Ichigo arrive, his bankai weakened from what it was when he was fighting Byakuya. I push myself harder. It feels like my lungs are on fire. My legs are jelly. I hit the bridge. Ichigo and Renji's spiritual pressures rise. They're fighting together. I'm flying up towards the top of Sokyoku Hill now, using the last of my spiritual pressure reserves.

I land on top of the hill just in time to see Aizen catch the blade of Ichigo's zanpakuto with his fingers. Blood explodes from Ichigo's torso. My eyes go impossibly wide as I try to force myself to believe that what I've just witness didn't actually happen. As Ichigo collapses to the ground Aizen disappears, his shunpo so fast that I can't follow it with my eyes. He reappears behind Renji as a fountain of blood explodes from Renji's back. My hate grows until it threatens to choke me.

"_**AIZEN!**_"

Aizen pauses in his advance, sword drawn, towards Rukia. I glare at him as fiercely as I can, suddenly breathless from my scream.

"Another interruption? Gin I thought you said that you'd taken care of her."

"I'm sorry Captain Aizen," Gin replies. He actually sounds faintly apologetic. "I was just about to finish her off when you called me and I figured it was more important to get back to Central 46 than to kill her. I never thought that she would have recovered quickly enough to come here."

"Would you like me to take care of her Captain Aizen?" Tosen asks from beside Gin, his hand going to the hilt of his sword.

"No, Kaname it's alright. In some ways I find it fitting for her, someone with the memories of that day, to be here." Aizen turns towards me fully, and takes a couple steps forward. "So, Taylor Smithson. Now that you're here what are you going to do?"

"Kill you of course." I spit the words at him, so angry that it's an effort for me to speak normally and not scream.

"Is that so? I don't think that'd be very wise. It looks like you're barely able to stand."

"Please Taylor! Don't! Just run! Run away!" Rukia yells at me from behind Aizen. She is pale and shaking. Every few seconds her eyes flicker fearfully towards Ichigo and Renji lying prone on the ground in pools of their own blood.

"Like hell," I snort in reply.

"You can't Taylor!" Rukia cries desperately. "He's too strong! He-!"

"Shut up!" I shout at Rukia, my temper finally snapping. "I'm not about to let him get away with it again!"

"That was rather harsh," Aizen chastises me genially. "She's only concerned for your safety."

"Like I need you to tell me that!" I snap at him. "I can't let you get away with this again! All those people you hurt last time, all the lives you ruined…Never again! I swore to myself that I wouldn't let it happen again!"

At that Aizen smirks. "I'm afraid you're too late then. My plan was set into motion a long time ago and it's far too late to stop it now."

I narrow my eyes at Aizen. "What the hell do you mean by that?"

"In fact everything actually revolves around your friend Rukia here. Or, more accurately, what is hidden inside her." Rukia flinches again at Aizen's words, looking down at her own body as if she's never seen it before.

I can understand how she feels. Astonishment has left me speechless for a moment. "What're you talking about?"

Aizen's smirk gets wider. "Kisuke Urahara's ultimate invention, though I doubt he would call it that. He hid it inside of Rukia's soul. If you have Wakana's memories then I'm sure you know what he used to try and treat Wakana and the others after my experiments."

It takes me a moment to figure it out, but when I do I don't feel like I understand it any better. "The Hogyoku?"

"Exactly." Aizen seems pleased that I knew the correct answer.

"But why do you want that? It doesn't work. Urahara's treatment failed."

"That's because he didn't know how to use it properly. I do. Now, if you'll excuse me…" Aizen turns away from me and starts walking towards Rukia again, who is now frozen in place by Aizen's spiritual pressure.

My mind whirls. It doesn't make any sense. It doesn't make any sense! What the hell does he want with the Hogyoku? How is it even in Rukia in the first place? Did he set everything up just so that it would come to this? Rukia getting executed on Sokyoku Hill? _How?_

"Don't touch her!" Aizen keeps walking, ignoring me like the fly I am to him. Rage suddenly consumes me and I move at a speed that I didn't realize I was capable of anymore, stopping between Aizen and Rukia. Aizen raises an eyebrow at me. "I said _don't touch her_," I growl at him, drawing my sword.

Aizen smiles at me like an indulgent parent who is slowly losing patience with their child. "I'm surprised that you have so much spiritual pressure left. But you don't honestly think you can beat me in your condition do you? This is your only chance. Move out of my way or I'm going to kill you."

I can't take this anymore. All the lies, the manipulation. Everyone and everything that I've ever cared about is in danger because of him. I want to kill Aizen, to destroy him. I'd do _anything_ to be able to do it. And so I listen to the voice that I've been hearing inside my mind on and off since I started training with Tennyo's bankai. It's gotten a lot louder now that so much my spiritual pressure has been used up.

_Taylor…Let me kill him. Let me kill him._

Can you really do it?

_Oh yes. I can. Just let me do it._

I don't know if I can really trust that voice, but I've run out of options. So, I let go. A new spiritual pressure explodes around me.

…

Ichigo was in pain. It clouded his mind, making it difficult for him to focus. But he did have one completely clear and coherent thought. He didn't want Taylor to fight Aizen.

This Aizen guy was a monster. His spiritual pressure was terrifying. And he had cut down Ichigo and Renji like they were nothing. The man's strength went beyond monstrous. So when Taylor had appeared all Ichigo wanted to do was stop her from fighting. Her shihakusho was covered in blood and she looked exhausted. Clearly she'd already been in a tough fight. She wasn't ready to face Aizen. And yet, Ichigo couldn't say anything.

It was too important to her. He hadn't understood what they were talking about with the past and the Hogyoku, but Ichigo was now certain that Aizen was the man that Taylor had been training so hard to beat in the secret cavern beneath Sokyoku Hill. Aizen was the connection between Taylor and the woman who's powers she held. Fighting Aizen was something that Taylor, and Taylor alone, had to do. He understood that, but he didn't like it. He stayed silent all the same.

Rukia stared up at Taylor's back in horror. She couldn't face Aizen. Rukia could tell by the tension in Taylor's back she was exhausted. It was amazing that she had even been able to move as fast as she had when she blocked Aizen's path.

In the back of Rukia's head she could hear her Captain's words. That there were two kinds of fights: those for life and those for honor. And Rukia knew, somehow, that this fight for Taylor was about honor. But, this was a fight that Taylor couldn't win. Rukia had let it slide when Ichigo had fought Grand Fisher. But she couldn't do it now. She couldn't sit by and say nothing _again_ when someone she cared about was facing certain death.

"Please," Rukia whispered, her voice shaky, her eyes filling with tears. "Please, don't do this Taylor."

"Rukia…" Something in Rukia flinched when she heard Taylor's voice. There was something…wrong…with it. "Stop worrying about it." Rukia gasped as Taylor glanced back over her shoulder at her. Black was slowly crawling across the whites of Taylor's eyes, her once blue irises now bright gold.

Taylor faced forward again and spiritual pressure exploded from her, blowing Rukia backwards. As Rukia propped herself up on her arm, using her other arm to protect her face from the wind, she felt the wrongness again. This wasn't Taylor's spiritual pressure. It was something else. Black, lined with gold whirled high above Rukia's head.

Aizen blinked in surprise as he felt the transformation taking place in front of him. "I wasn't expecting that. Wakana's Hollow powers were passed along as well. Did you sense this when you were fighting her before Gin?" Aizen asked, looking back at his subordinate.

His grin gone, Gin shook his head. "No. Not a hint of it." Aizen turned back towards the human girl in front of him, intrigued by what would come of this new development.

Taylor's exploding spiritual pressure registered somewhere deep inside Ichigo as he watched the black energy swirl. It felt eerily familiar. It was like what had happened when he had fought Byakuya. But he didn't even understand what had happened to him. What did it mean for Taylor?

Ichigo watched with trepidation as the swirling energy began to calm. Taylor was slowly revealed, her hair flying in all directions. She stood hunched over, her arms hanging strangely in front of her at awkward angles and her sword dragging along the ground.

"Let's see what you can do then." Ichigo didn't need to see Aizen's face to know he was smirking.

Taylor suddenly threw back her head, her hair flaring out behind her. What Ichigo saw next made his breath catch in his throat as a primal fear shot through his limbs. Her face was now covered by a white mask. It was shaped vaguely like a human skull, but its teeth were too large. There was a golden starburst over the left eye of the mask and at the top, going around the back of Taylor's head, a halo like piece sat crookedly. Ichigo could just barely see Taylor's eyes through the mask and they looked completely inhuman. The whites of her eyes had turned black and her irises were now gold.

As if in answer to Aizen's challenge the mouth on the mask cracked open and Taylor let out a roar that sounded so much like a Hollow's that it raised the hairs on the back of Ichigo's neck. He didn't understand what had happened to her, but somehow Ichigo knew that it wasn't Taylor under that mask. And whatever it was definitely wasn't human. Suddenly she disappeared and attacked Aizen, her sword clashing violently against his.

"Very powerful," Aizen observed. "Good."

And then they were off, trading lightning fast blows across the top of Sokyoku Hill. It was clear that Taylor wasn't in control anymore. Her strikes were random and wild, and she attacked without thought for her own safety. But what she lacked in control she made up for in power. Earth cracked and split whenever Taylor's blade met Aizen's and it was clear that she was standing up to him, if not overpowering him.

Aizen would admit that he was impressed. He had never really gotten a good chance to test the power of a Hollowfied Soul Reaper and he was pleased that even his failed experiment had turned out so well. It was especially pleasing since the human girl was not the one who had been Hollowfied. She was fighting with powers that she had acquired second hand.

But he quickly grew bored of fighting her. After all a failed experiment like the Vizards would never be able to match him in power. Deciding that it was time to finish things- he could feel the other Captains and officers approaching and he needed to get the Hogyoku before they arrived- he began to push her harder. The Hollowfied girl didn't like it. Her strikes grew even wilder and he could hear bestial snarling from behind the mask.

They clashed swords for a final time before Aizen swiped her away. The girl landed and paused, clearly deciding what to do. "That's enough of that I think," Aizen said, holding his zanpakuto out in front of him. "Shatter, Kyoka Suigetsu."

The girl roared again, enraged, and charged. She sliced downward, aiming for Aizen's neck. But her sword slipped right through him. Behind the mask Aizen saw the girl's eyes widen in confusion. He smiled to himself in satisfaction as he smoothly slid his blade into her chest.

…

It was strange giving the voice control. I could still see everything that was happening, could still feel my muscles move and my breath flow past my lips. But, somehow, I had taken a back seat within my own mind. I knew everything that was going on, but I was no longer the one controlling it.

But I could feel the power of it. Whoever, whatever that voice is she is incredibly powerful. She attacked Aizen without a second thought and kept up with him. I got caught up in it…the power. I liked the feeling of strength it gave me. It made me kind of bloodthirsty. I couldn't wait to see Aizen's blood staining the ground. I was getting swallowed by the power.

And then it was over. I feel the sword slide into my chest. The pain is acute. The mask that covered my face cracks and shatters and I am in control again. I cough and the iron taste of blood fills my mouth. I sag against the hilt of Aizen's sword, the strength to stand on my own fading. "H-how?" I manage to gasp, raising my gaze to see Aizen smirking smugly down at me.

"It is the power of my zanpakuto. I call it Complete Hypnosis. Most effective don't you think?"

I stare blankly at him for a moment and then everything clicks. How he was able to fake his own death and hide out in Central 46. How he was able to kill all of Central 46- which he did according to the 4th's Lieutenant- and no one knew. How he was able to trick Shinji Hirako and Wakana until the end of that fateful night.

"You bastard," I hiss, somehow finding the strength to lift my sword arm. It's pointless I'm sure, but maybe if I can just nick a major vein or something…

I cry out as I feel the second sword enter my back, exiting just below Aizen's sword. Inside my head I hear Tennyo and the other voice screaming in pain. I cough again, more violently this time, and my blood stains the ground. All my strength leaves me and my knees buckle. The only thing holding me up now is the two swords through my chest. I manage to move my head enough to look back over my shoulder. The other man who has stabbed me is Gin Ichimaru. I think I might hate him more than Aizen.

"I don't think that was necessary Gin," Aizen says.

Ichimaru shrugs. "You can never be too careful, Captain Aizen."

"I appreciate the sentiment, but I doubt there's any chance she'll survive. In any case there's something I need to finish."

Aizen and Ichimaru both pull their swords out at the same time, sending more agony shooting through my chest. I immediately collapse to the ground, my blood spreading out around me. My vision is starting to go fuzzy and my hearing is fading. I want to move. I want to get up and fight again. But I can't. I can't move even the smallest muscle. In fact I think I'm dying. Is this really the end for me? ...Dying sucks.

The fuzzy edges of my vision are being taken over by quickly encroaching black. Even as my consciousness fades something catches my eye. A flash of orange. I blink, refocusing my eyes, and see that it is Ichigo's hair. He's lying maybe twenty feet away from me, desperately trying to prop himself up on his arms. He really shouldn't do that. He's going to make his injuries worse

Now that I'm focusing on him I can hear his voice too. He's calling my name over and over again, begging me to stay conscious. I think there might even be tears in the corners of his eyes. Wow…he's going to cry over me? He must really…love me…or something. Thinking back to our kiss in the cave though…maybe I already knew that.

I'm sorry Ichigo. I've tried. I really have. But I can't stay awake anymore. Good…bye…

"_**TAYLOR!**_"

**Author's Note:**

_Chapter 20 and the final, climatic battles. Yay! And it ended with a cliffhanger. Not yay! In any case I hope you enjoyed it. It took me a while to get into writing this chapter, but I like the way it turned out. And if you don't really get everything that happened at the end don't worry…everything will be explained and wrapped up in the next chapter. The FINAL chapter. That's weird to think about…_

_So I actually debated for a really long time about whether or not I wanted to make Taylor a Vizard. In the end I decided that yes, I would. And this will come into play later down the line. I think I mentioned at some point that Tennyo is supposed to mean something along the lines of 'celestial angel'. According to Google Translate utau means 'singing', so Tennyo Utau is supposed to be 'singing celestial angel'. Whether it's accurate or not I have no idea (my Japanese isn't that good yet) but I think it sounds cool. _

_Citations:_

*English language version, Episode 61, by Viz.

_Nine reviews? Not too shabby! THANK YOU SO MUCH to Shaybo27, Shannyrox101, Queen-of-Twilights, Sora'struelover, Oiten, bored411, bleach fan no 1, LadyAmazon, and Daisylovesyou! I have to say that there are quite a few readers out there who are making freakishly accurate guesses as to what will happen in the future of this story (coughcough Shannyrox101 cough) or people who have guessed what I was originally considering doing (coughcough Shaybo27 cough). And all I have to say is that you'll just have to wait and see if you're right or not!_

_And I'm sorry that it took me so long to get this chapter up. My training thing has picked up a lot recently in out-of-class work, plus I'm applying to jobs and doing other time-consuming things. Also I started another story that I'm pretty much in love with and its been taking up a lot of my attention. It's a Hetalia story so if you like Hetalia then you should check it out. And if you don't then fear not! I _will_ finish this story and keep updating, but it may just take me a little longer. _

_Thanks for reading! _

_**imagination junkie**_


	21. Epilogue or The End of the Beginning

**Disclaimer:** _I do not own Bleach or anyone or anything from Bleach. It's as simple as that. Everything else, however, is mine. :D _

**Chapter 21: Epilogue or The Ending of the Beginning**

On the first day after Aizen's betrayal Ichigo woke up and felt fine. No amount of Orihime's miraculous healing, however, could cancel out the fact that he had nearly been cut in half, so when the Squad 4 nurses told him to stay in bed he listened. They had assured him that all of his friends were fine, but Ichigo's mind refused to stop worrying about them.

On the second day, however, Ichigo got up with every intention of checking on his friends and seeing that they were ok with his own eyes. He made it about halfway down the hallway before Squad 4's Captain had descended on him and asked him to go back to bed. She had been perfectly pleasant when she'd asked, but something in her tone had sent Ichigo practically sprinting back to his room as if he'd been given an order. Ichigo did not try to get back up again that day.

On the third Ichigo decided that he would see his friends through hell or high water and would not go back to his room until he made sure they were ok no matter who asked him to. To Ichigo's surprise no one stopped him, and the nurse he asked for directions was happy to help him.

The first place he came upon was the room where Renji was being treated. His wounds were nearly healed and he was sitting up in bed when Ichigo arrived. They talked a bit and traded some insults and Ichigo knew he would be fine. Rukia had already been released and showed up just as Ichigo was about to leave. Ichigo was relieved that no harm had come to her from Aizen's extraction of the Hogyoku. Rukai told him that all but one of his other friends had been released and were staying in other places in the Seireitei. Rukia promised that she would let them know he was up and would send them to visit him later.

That just left Taylor. She was the person that Ichigo was most excited and most nervous about seeing. He was desperate to see that she was ok with his own eyes, but at the same time he was afraid. What if she wasn't ok? He didn't know what he would do.

And there was everything that had happened back at the cave. They had kissed, but did that mean that things were different between them? Could he kiss her again? He sure as hell wanted to, but he had no clue about how she would react. Ichigo was certain that he was in love with Taylor, but now he doubted if she felt the same way about him. It made him extra nervous.

Ichigo paused at the door to Taylor's room in order compose himself. Then he knocked.

"Come in," Taylor called.

Squashing his hesitation Ichigo opened the door. "Hey," he began uncertainly.

Taylor's room was larger than his. It had a bed, a cabinet for medical supplies, and a desk and an extra chair. But the biggest difference was that half of the far wall was taken up by a sliding paper door, revealing a little private garden surrounded by a high fence. Taylor was sitting on the porch that led out into the garden and turned at the sound of Ichigo's voice.

"Ichigo! You're ok!" Taylor's face lit up with a brilliant smile as soon as she saw Ichigo, Ichigo's breath caught in his throat at her expression- she looked so happy to see him- and his heart swelled even as he felt his own mouth stretch into a matching grin.

"Of course I'm ok. Orihime's powers are amazing. How are you?"

At Ichigo's question Taylor's face dropped a bit and Ichigo felt his stomach twist into a knot with worry.

"I'm…ok," Taylor replied.

Ichigo took the time to examine Taylor more closely now. She looked…tired. There was something in her eyes that hinted at exhaustion and she sat with her back slumped, as if the very air itself was weighing down on her. Ichigo's alarm increased. He crossed the room and sat down next to her.

"Are you really ok?" he asked, catching her gaze and holding it.

"My wounds are pretty much all healed," Taylor offered. Ichigo scowled at her, aware that she wasn't telling him everything. Suddenly Taylor sighed and looked away. "Ichigo…my powers are gone."

Shock raced through Ichigo like a lightening bolt. For a moment all he could do was sit there while his brain attempted to process what he had just heard. "What? How?" Ichigo finally managed to ask.

Taylor's eyes seemed to focus on something faraway as she raised a hand to her chest. "It was on Sokyoku Hill. When Aizen and Ichimaru stabbed me they got my binding chain and soul sleep. It's just like what happened to you when Byakuya attacked you in the World of the Living when Rukia and I were taken."

"Oh." Ichigo didn't know what else to say. He really didn't.

They sat in silence for a long time both looking out into the garden. Ichigo focused his gaze on the bamboo spout in the garden's fountain. Up and down it rhythmically went, spilling a little more water each time.

"It's ok though!" Taylor suddenly exclaimed and Ichigo looked back at her. She was smiling again, but it didn't reach her eyes. "I mean I didn't want to be a Soul Reaper in the first place. Now I don't have to worry about it anymore." Her was voice too cheery to be genuine.

"You don't have to lie to me," Ichigo said quietly.

Surprise flashed through Taylor's eyes before she looked away again. Ichigo waited. He knew that this had to be difficult for her. It certainly had been for him. Despite how resistant Taylor had been about using her powers at first, Ichigo knew that Taylor had grown to like them and to believe that she was doing something important when she used them. Losing them was a blow and Ichigo intended to be there for Taylor, no matter how long it took her to lean on him.

"It's true though…" Taylor began softly. "When my powers first appeared I hated them so much. I wondered why on Earth I had this other weird problem to deal with when I had so many other things to worry about. And I was so afraid too. I didn't choose to have those abilities. I didn't understand what was happening to me."

"But that changed."

"Yes, it did." Taylor smiled softly and Ichigo felt his heart beat just a tad faster. She was so beautiful when she smiled. "My powers gave me the ability to really do something, to really help people. I'd never known what that felt like before. To know that you're doing something important. And now it's gone." Ichigo waited again as Taylor got quiet, her smile falling and her expression turning sad.

Finally she turned to him again, her expression asking for his agreement. "But I'll be fine. Just because I don't have powers doesn't mean that I have to stop being that person, right?" Taylor was clearly trying to sound strong, but Ichigo didn't miss the waver in her tone.

Ichig couldn't stop himself from smiling when Taylor looked at him hopefully with those big, blue eyes. "Right."

…

It's been a week now since Aizen's betrayal. And still, every time I think about it my blood boils with anger both at Aizen and at myself for failing to stop him. But there isn't anything I can do about it now. When we leave tomorrow I'll go back to just being an ordinary human. All I'll be able to do to help stop whatever new plans Aizen comes up with will be to support Ichigo and our friends. And you better believe I'm going to do that.

It's getting late now. The moon cleared the horizon a while ago and now sits halfway up the cloudless sky in an ocean of stars. Without the glare of city lights the sky is incredibly bright in the Soul Society. Since I've been at the Squad Four hospital I've frequently pondered whether or not their sky is the same as the one in the World of Living. The only conclusion I've come to is that it doesn't really matter. The moon is still the moon and the stars are still the stars.

I sigh as my gaze shifts from the sky to the little garden attached to my room. I roll my shoulders in an attempt to get more comfortable. Without my powers being in the Soul Society is…uncomfortable, for lack of a better word. The pressure of all the surrounding reishi is oppressive. The air itself feels heavy, like it's weighing me down. I've been wondering if this is how ordinary souls feel all the tine in Soul Society. If does it must really suck. No wonder the Rukon District is such an awful place to live.

Clearly I've had too much time to think over the past week. It's like I'm an old lady wiling away her time by sitting on her porch and pondering the mysteries of the universe…or something. I don't have enough energy now to really move around, so I've just been staying in my room to recover. The one time I did leave was to go to a special Captain's meeting where I was asked to recount what really happened the night that Wakana and the other Vizards gained their Hollow powers. All the charges against them have now been absolved, along with the charges against Yoruichi, Urahara, and Tessai.

My powers aren't the only things I've lost. Without the powers Wakana's memories are starting to fade too. I'm actually not all that upset about that- I felt kind of uncomfortable having them in the first place. It seemed wrong somehow to rifle through someone else's past like it was my own. But I definitely miss my powers. It's not just the fact that it's now uncomfortable to be in the Soul Society. I feel strangely…empty now. Like something inside me is missing. And my mind is so quiet now without the presence of a zanpakuto. It's kind of lonely.

But it hasn't been all bad. Everyone has been coming to visit me. I've seen Rukia and Renji, as well as several others of the senior officers who have come to apologize or just out of curiosity. And Orihime, Chad, Uryuu, and Ichigo have been coming everyday. Just not today yet. It's disappointing, but I'm not surprised. They're helping to get everything ready for when we leave tomorrow. And Ichigo, at least, seems like he spent a good portion of the day running from Kenpachi Zaraki.

That's the one thing I haven't lost. Even without my powers I still have some ability to sense spiritual pressure. But it is a lot more difficult now. If I want to sense anyone that's any distance away their spiritual pressure better be high and I have to concentrate really hard. I'm kind of amazed I can still keep track of everyone actually. It does make me feel better though. Even if I can't help my friends fight when we get back, at least I'll always be able to tell whether they're safe or not.

It's Ichigo's spiritual pressure brushing up against my senses that alerts me to his approach. I can't help but smile. His spiritual pressure is definitely one I'll always be able to keep track of. I glance over my shoulder at the door and call out for him to come in before he has the chance to knock. I smirk at him as he comes in, scowling, and his expression quickly softens.

"I'm never going be able to sneak up on you am I?" he asks me, his tone a bit rueful.

"Nope," I reply as he comes and sits down next to me.

"Sorry it took me so long to get here. I was coming to come visit you earlier, but Orihime was worried because she couldn't find Rukia and we ended up spending most of the day looking for her."

"Ah," I say. That makes sense. "You find her?"

"Yea."

"That's good."

We're silent after that. I'm not sure why, but things have been kind of awkward for us. We fell back into being friends easy enough but…well, it hasn't gone any further than that. It's like the kiss in the cave never happened. It makes me sad and nervous. I sneak a peek at Ichigo out of the corner of my eye and see that he is focused on the moon like I was earlier. I turn my gaze forward again with an inaudible sigh. I know I was the one who initiated things in the cave, but I can't seem to work up the courage to do it again now that we're not staring death in the face.

"You ready to go back tomorrow?" Ichigo asks me suddenly.

Slightly startled I glance at him. "I guess. It doesn't do me any good to stay here."

"And how are you now?" Ichigo has turned to face me.

It's an innocent enough question, but the loneliness inside bites at his words. He could just as easily be talking about my wounds, but I know he means how I'm doing with the loss of my powers.

"I'm getting there," I answer honestly, meeting Ichigo's gaze steadily. It wouldn't do me any good to lie. He knows me too well now to fall for it and then he'd just drag it out of me anyways.

"I'm glad," Ichigo replies, smiling softly at me.

My heart begins to pound and my face heats up, as our gazes remain locked. I can't look away, it seems, as Ichigo's eyes bore into mine. The look in them changes from warmth and affection into something else. Something…more intense. The atmosphere around us suddenly seems charged and the only thing I can think about is the way Ichigo's lips felt against mine in the cave. My breath catches in my throat as he begins to lean towards me and I lean towards him, drawn in as if by some magnetic force.

Our faces are less than an inch away, our lips just about to touch, when there is a sudden knock at the door. Ichigo and I both flinch and jump away from each other. My cheeks are burning and Ichigo's face is just as red as I call, "C-come in!" Damn it! Why'd they have to come now?

"Hi Taylor!" Orihime exclaims as she bounces through the door, followed by Rukia, Uryuu, and Chad. "Sorry we're so late!"

"It's ok," I mumble, feeling cheated. Ichigo shoots them all a glare and growls something under his breath.

Orihime doesn't notice, but Rukia does. "What's wrong with you? We didn't interrupt something did we?" Rukia asks Ichigo, smirking.

"Of course not," Ichigo snaps looking away as his blush, which had started to fade, turns brilliant again.

Rukia just smirks wider while Orihime looks back and forth between them confused. It is awkwardly silent for a moment until Uryuu clears his throat loudly. "Anyways, we wanted to come by and give you this," he says, presenting me with a pile of clothing.

"Ok…" I say, mystified, as I take it from him.

"It's great isn't it?" Orihime chirps excitedly. "Uryuu made us all new clothes for when we go home tomorrow!"

Feeling slightly less confused I unfold the bundle of clothing and see that it's a pair of pants and a shirt. There's nothing special about them, but it was nice of Uryuu to make them for me anyways. "Thanks," I say, looking up at him.

"You're welcome," he replies with a small, smug smile, reaching up and pushing his glasses back up his nose.

I look back at the sky, at the moon. It really is my final night here. It's strange to think that I'll be going back to the World of the Living tomorrow. I haven't even been here that long and yet the Soul Society feels more real now than the World of the Living. This place held so much meaning for Wakana, and even with her memories fading inside me I can't help but feel the same. In some ways I'll probably miss this it, but, really, I'm glad we're going home.

…

The next day we stand at the edge of Sokyoku Hill, the Senkaimon open in front of us. It seems like all the high-ranking officers have come to see us off. I'm not surprised really. Ichigo and the other's arrival helped expose Aizen's treachery and we all helped mess up his plans even if he ultimately succeeded.

Ichigo, Orihime, Chad, Uryuu, Yoruichi, back in cat form, and I are all ready to go. Rukia isn't coming, but I'm not that surprised about that either. I'll miss her a lot, but she's a Soul Reaper and her home is here. And I kind of get the feeling that this won't be the last time I see her.

We say our final goodbyes and then we step through the gate. Rather than having a leisurely walk to the other side, however, we find ourselves in the Dangai. We all look around, bemused, until a noise that sounds very much like a train horn echoes around us. Everyone else flinches. "What was that?" I ask, looking behind us and seeing a faint light that is quickly growing brighter.

The only answer I get is "RUN!" Ichigo grabs my hand and drags me along behind him as everyone begins to sprint.

"What the hell is going on?" I ask again, as something enormous roars up behind us.

"It's the cleaner!" Ichigo shouts back at me. He still hasn't relinquished his grip on my hand.

The cleaner?...Oh shit! I stop making Ichigo drag me and begin to run as hard as I can. He still doesn't release my hand as I draw even with him and I take advantage of the situation by tightening my grip on his. Ichigo shoots me a brief smile, which I'm quick to return even as we run for our lives.

"Damn it Yoruichi!" Ichigo shouts, sounding frustrated. "Why do we have to do this again?"

"Wait, again?" I ask. "You did this before? When you came here?"

"Yes!" Ichigo is definitely angry now. "And I'd really like to know why we're stuck doing it _again_!"

"Both of you shut up and run!" Yoruichi snaps back at us. "We're almost to the exit!"

She's right. Up ahead I can see the glowing shape of the doorway. We all put an extra burst of speed and make through the exit before the cleaner can plow through us. Unfortunately, however, the exit of the gate happens to be several hundred feet up into the open sky. We all seemingly hover for a moment, surrounded by the stars, before gravity takes effect and we began to fall.

My stomach flies up into my throat with the sensation of falling and Ichigo's hand tightens convulsively on mine. I've just opened my mouth up to scream when there is the sound of a cannon firing and suddenly we're all tumbled together in what feels like a giant piece of paper. There is indistinct shouting, the feeling of our bundle hitting something solid, and suddenly, in a brief whirl of motion, we are all sitting on the paper, which is now floating in the sky.

"Welcome back!" Urahara exclaims with a flourish from where he sits cross-legged at the front of the paper. I'm unsurprised to see Tessai, Jinta, and Ururu land behind us.

*"Urahara…but how?" Ichigo asks.

"It's good to see you again Ichigo," Urahara begins over his shoulder. "I imagine by now that you've heard the truth about me." I blink in surprise at the seriousness in Urahara's tone as Ichigo lets go of my hand and stands.

Ichigo's expression hardens. "I have."

Urahara then does something that completely astounds me. Turning around he takes off his hat and bows his head to Ichigo. "Words cannot express how truly sorry I am."

Ichigo looks away and sighs. "Stop, I'm not mad about it anymore. I'm not sure what you're motivation was, but you made us stronger. In the end you probably saved our lives. And for that I'm thankful."*

I can't stop a small smile from gracing my lips. I knew there was a reason why I'm in love this guy. And Urahara seems to have grown up some too. He got all of us, but especially Ichigo, involved with this for his own purposes, but here he is finally coming clean.

Well not exactly, I think, exasperated, as Ichigo elbows Urahara in the face when he tells Ichigo that he didn't tell him the truth because he was afraid Ichigo would 'run away'. Urahara is still a mystery to me, and I still don't trust him completely, but I at least I'm certain now that he was trying to do the right thing from the start…Or at least what he thought was the right thing. It's the thought that counts, right?

Things quiet down after Urahara promises that he'll apologize to Rukia as well. He then begins to drop the others off one-by-one, lowering the paper enough so that they can jump off, until it's just me and Ichigo left.

"So…" Ichigo begins suddenly, turning towards me, but refusing to make eye contact. "Can I come, and uh, see you tomorrow or something?" he asks nervously, reaching up to scratch the back of his head in embarrassment.

My own cheeks flush as my heart flutters uncontrollably. Is Ichigo finally- really- asking me out? "O-of course!" I stutter and then silently fume for sounding so nervous.

"Great!" Ichigo replies, finally meeting my eye and grinning widely. I smile in return, the heat in my face now coming from excitement. My powers may be gone, but it looks like my relationship with Ichigo is about to flourish. For the first time since I woke up in Squad Four I feel truly excited.

**"Shall I drop you off at your house Ichigo?" Urahara asks from up front.

"Yea, that'd be great." Ichigo calls back. Then he looks around, noticing the area of town that we're currently flying over. "Actually I think I'll get off right here,"** Ichigo says, standing. "See you tomorrow," he tells me before jumping off the edge of the paper into the open air.

"Wait! Ichigo!" Urahara calls after him. I lean over the side and see that we are flying over the river. Ichigo stands below us on the bank. I'm certain that he's thinking about his mother now. I hope that this whole experience has brought Ichigo some piece of mind.

This brings my thoughts back to my own mother. It's not like I didn't think about her at all while I was in the Soul Society. Actually I thought about her a lot, worrying what she'd do if I didn't make it back. It's just that I tried to avoid thinking about how mad she was going to be if I made it back. And she is definitely going to be livid. But I'm back now and there are definitely some things that we need to patch up. I'm not looking forward to, but she's my mom.

Below me the paper changes direction, heading back towards the shop. "Um…Urahara? I live that way," I say, pointing back the way that we had previously been heading.

"I know," Urahara replies, suddenly serious again. I get this funny feeling of anxiety as he turns to me. "There are a couple of things that I need to tell you. The first is that I am deeply sorry for involving you with all of this."

I blink, completely taken aback, as Urahara again removes his hat and bows his head towards me as he did for Ichigo. I'm not entirely sure what he's apologizing for until I remember the warning he gave me before I went home the night before Rukia and I were captured.

_"Good. Well, happy early birthday. I think I'll give you the day off as your gift. But Taylor…" Urahara's voice has gotten serious again and I can't help but turn to look at him. "Don't stay out too late tomorrow."_

_I search Urahara's face for a long moment looking for something, anything, that will clue me on what his cryptic warning means. As usual I find nothing. I respond with a lazy wave and "Yea, sure." I feel his gaze on my back all the way to the front door and it makes me uneasy._

And that's when I realize…"You knew." I say quietly. It's not a question.

"Yes. I did. I apologize for not explaining everything fully to you before, but I'd hoped that by keeping some of it from you that you wouldn't get involved. I see now that that was foolish."

"Don't worry about it," I sigh. "I'm pretty sure that I would have gotten involved at some point anyways. Consider yourself forgiven."

I smirk at Urahara, but when he looks back up his face is still somber. My stomach twists uncomfortably as my anxiety grows. "Truly, thank you Taylor."

"No problem. Can you take me home now? I didn't really leave on the best of terms with my mom and I'd kind of like to get back and apologize for some things myself." There's something wrong. And why voice is too high? Why am I suddenly so uncomfortable? It feels like I'm suffocating.

"Yes…about that. You see there's something else I need to tell you."

Urahara stops there and my alarm only increases. What's he talking about? What the hell is going on? Suddenly I feel like I'm on the verge of panicking. What's with that look he's giving me? Pity? Why pity?

"What?" I finally cry out, unable to take the suffocating silence any longer.

Urahara's expression saddens, as if he deeply regrets what he's about to tell me. "Taylor…I'm sorry, but your mother…she has passed away."

…

When Ichigo knocked on the door to Taylor's apartment the next day he was startled when a pudgy, middle-aged man answered. When Ichigo asked if Taylor was home the man has answered that he didn't know what the hell Ichigo was talking about and had slammed the door in Ichigo's face. Feeling completely bemused and slightly worried Ichigo had headed off to the Urahara Shop, hoping that Urahara would know where Taylor was.

When Ichigo arrived he found Jinta out in the yard, swinging a bat at imaginary baseballs. "Oh, it's you," Jinta grunted when he noticed Ichigo.

"Is Urahara around?" Ichigo asked, training a scowl on the boy. Ichigo still held a grudge against Jinta for spitting on him in the shattered shaft.

"Yea. Inside," Jinta responded shortly, going back to swinging the bat. Ichigo made sure give the boy a wide berth when he passed him just in case Jinta's swing 'accidently' went a little too wide.

Ichigo made note of how quiet it was inside as he took off his shoes. Secretly he envied it a bit. It'd be nice if his house were quiet every once in a while. Ichigo made his way to the back of the shop to the little dining room where Urahara could usually be found if he wasn't sitting in the front. Ichigo slid the door open just as Urahara was bringing a cup of tea to his mouth.

"Ah, Ichigo," Urahara said, not sounding the least bit surprised at Ichigo's appearance. "I'm glad you're here."

"You are?" Ichigo asked, taken aback.

"Yes. Please, have a seat."

Ichigo reluctantly entered the room and sat down at the table across from Urahara. "Look, I don't know what you're expecting, but I just came to ask if you knew where Taylor was. Seems like she's not living in her apartment anymore."

"That's exactly why I'm glad you're here. Taylor will be staying with us for the time being." Ichigo frowned at Urahara's words. What the hell was he talking about? Urahara sighed. "I don't know the best way to phrase this delicately, so I'm just going to say it. Ichigo, Taylor's mother is dead."

For a second the entire world seemed to stop spinning. For a moment all that Ichigo could hear was the sound of the blood rushing in her ears. Taylor's mother…was dead? And then he was on his feet, dashing out into the hallway.

SLAM! "Taylor?"

SLAM! "Taylor?"

SLAM! "Taylor!"

Those words had hit Ichigo like a ton of bricks. He knew that pain. The pain of losing your mother. Just thinking about it brought some of his pain back. It was awful. Horrible. Ichigo wouldn't wish that kind of pain on anybody. And never on Taylor.

Ichigo slammed another door open and looked into the room. "Taylor!" She wasn't there. Where was she?

"Ichigo." Ichigo turned, startled, at the sound of his name. Yoruichi stood, in human form, in a doorway he hadn't yet opened. The look on her face was both infinitely sad and understanding. "She's upstairs. Last door on the left."

Ichigo barely spit out a 'thank you' before sprinting up the stairs and down the hallway. He slammed that door open too and, finally, there she was. "Taylor!" he exclaimed, his chest heaving as he tried to catch his breath.

Taylor was sitting in the corner of the room. An untouched futon lay in front of her. Slowly, as if he had just awoken her, Taylor raised her head from where it rested on her knees, her arms wrapped around them. She was still wearing the clothes that Uryuu had made for her in the Soul Society.

"I-Ichigo?" she asked. Her voice sounded rough, as if her throat was sore.

Ichigo's heart contracted painfully when he saw Taylor's face. Her skin was ashen, except around her eyes where it was red and raw from crying. Her hair was disheveled and her eyes…looked blank. Unfocused. It took her a moment for her to recognize him, but when she did some of the life came back into them. "Ichigo. It really is you." Her voice cracked on the last syllable.

Ichigo crossed the room in three short strides and sat down beside Taylor. Without any hesitation he wrapped his arms around her and drew her into his chest.

"Ichi…go…" Taylor's voice was completely broken now, wrenching Ichigo's heart even more. Why, _why_ did she have to feel this kind of pain? Taylor's body began to shake with silent sobs. "Ichigo…the last thing I said to her…was that…was that I hated her!"

Taylor completely broke down, her hands twisting into his shirt, her sobs loud and uncontrollable. Ichigo tightened his arms around her. His heart broke for Taylor, the pain making his chest ache. Ichigo knew the only thing he could do to comfort her was hold her, as there were no words that would be able to ease her suffering. And so he held her, willing to stay there as long as Taylor needed him to.

**Author's Note:**

_STOP! Before anyone freaks out about what happened to Taylor remember…THERE WILL BE A SEQUEL! Though I guess it's kind of obvious with the way I ended it…_

_So here it is the final chapter of The Natural Blonde. It's completely surreal for me. I've been working on this story on and off for nearly five years and now it's finished with 205 pages and over 88,500 words. I can't believe I actually wrote that much. As long as it has taken me to finish though I'm proud of it. This was my second story here, my first Bleach story, and my first multi-chapter story. This is also the first story I've finished besides my one-shot. And I feel like my writing has really grown as this story progressed. I'm much better than I was when I started and a lot of it is because of working on this story._

_Anyways, as you probably could tell this chapter was a wrap-up, as well as a set up for the next story, which will cover the Arrancar/Winter War stuff. I sure hope I caught everyone off guard with Taylor's mother dying. And yes that will be the main conflict for Taylor in the sequel. _

_Citations:_

*English language version, Episode 63, by Viz.

** English language version, Episode 63, by Viz.

_I truly want to thank everyone who reviewed this story over its lifetime. The reason why I was ultimately able to finish it was because of your words of praise and encouragement. It makes me so happy that this story has developed such a following and the fact that I knew that there were people out there waiting to read each chapter is what motivated me to update. So, thank you so much everyone. And thank you especially to the ten people who reviewed the last chapter: XxdreamergirlxX, Shadow knight1121, bored411, Sora'struelover, Shannyrox101, Anon, Queen-of-Twilights, Shaybo27, LadyAmazon, and violentyetawesome. I hope everyone will be able to provide the same support for this story's sequel. _

_It will probably be a bit before I get the sequel, which will be called Bleach Blonde, up and running. I'm at a natural breaking point here, I want to do some more work on my other stories, and my training program is wrapping up over the next couple of weeks so I have do stuff for that. I will post a note in this story when the sequel is up, or you can just keep a look out for it. And I'll go ahead and tell you now that it pretty much picks up where canon does after the end of the Soul Society Arc._

_So after that rather sober A/N there's just one more thing I'd like to say…MY READERS ROCK! Thank you and goodnight (No, but seriously goodnight. I'm going to bed now.)! _

_Thanks for reading! _

_**imagination junkie**_


	22. To the Sequel!

So the first chapter of the sequel, Bleach Blonde, is up! Probably the easiest way for you to get to it is to click on my name above. That will bring you to my profile page and the story should be right there. Exciting yes?

I would also like to thank the people that reviewed the last chapter of this story: Laeila Tsukiyomi-Storm, Trubeque, Sora'struelover, Shannyrox101, Shybo27, Shadow knight1121, XxRikela-chanxX, LadyAmazon, violentyetawesome, zipscool, and bored411! Thank you all so much! As always your reviews mean the world to me and I hope that you will review the sequel as enthusiastically as you have reviewed this story.

See you on the other side!

_**imagination junkie**_


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